Expand contact tracing to 15 persons, orders Punjab CM

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 2

Despite declining cases, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday ordered expanding the contact tracing of positive patients to 15 persons. He made it mandatory for hospitals and radiology labs conducting CT scans to report such patients to the administration in case of suspicion of virus as part of a slew of measures to strengthen the Covid management systems amid the apprehension of second wave.

The Chief Minister ordered a state-level three-tier vaccine supervision mechanism comprising a steering committee as well as state and district task force to be put in place.

In contrast to some other states that are depending heavily on the less reliable rapid antigen testing (RAT), the CM directed the Health Department to make RT-PCR the rule, with RAT to be treated as an exception, while ordering another sero survey to assess the ground situation.

The Chief Minister asked the Health Department to get information from private and public hospitals regarding Covid mortality and complete the audit by November 9 so that remedial action could be taken by mid-November.

Chairing a virtual meeting of medical and health experts and officials, the Chief Minister warned against any complacency amid projections of a more severe second wave in keeping with the global trend.