India to boost quarantine, isolation wards as Covid-19 arrives

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New Delhi, March 3, 2020-

In measures for cluster management of coronavirus, the government is asking the states to identify sites for quarantine facilities and isolation wards including facilities of the armed forces, paramilitary forces, medical colleges and PSUs within their jurisdiction.

This was decided at a meeting held by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba through video conference here, with Secretaries of Ministries concerned, and state Chief Secretaries and Health Secretaries to review and assess action taken for containment of COVID-19.

The meeting comes on a day when the first coronavirus case has been detected in Delhi and a flurry of cases are being reported on a single patient’s trial from Delhi to Agra.

The guidelines on cluster management of COVID-19 have been communicated to the states two days ago. The operationalisation of the guidelines was emphasised upon and the Chief Secretaries were requested to review the same.

The states have been asked to hold coordination meetings with the related Ministries and arrive at a plan on possible quarantine facilities in the States.

They have also been asked to augment isolation wards and include facilities of the labour department, armed forces, paramilitary forces, medical colleges and PSUs within their jurisdiction.

It was also decided that District Collectors shall now be involved in cluster management in their district. They should hold coordination meetings and ensure that teams at the district, block and village levels are made for cluster management as per the SOPs communicated.

The district administration will also hold meetings with hospital associations to identify isolation wards.

The Health Ministry is working with FICCI to work out detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for COVID-19 management in private hospitals.

It was also informed that apart from the three COVID-19 positive cases from Kerala, who have recovered, three more cases have been confirmed positive for COVID-19 and six have heavy viral load and are awaiting confirmation. All are in isolation and are stable.

Also, 24 persons, including 21 Italian tourists and three Indians (bus driver, conductor and tourist guide), who had contact with the Italian national found confirmed as COVID-19 positive in Jaipur, have been shifted to the ITBP facility for testing. Depending on the result, future course of action will be taken, according to an official statement. (Agency)

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