LUCKNOW: Following orders from chief minister
Yogi Adityanath to finalise a plan to track and test people coming from states witnessing a fresh surge in Covid-19 cases, the state health department made a week-long quarantine mandatory for symptomatic persons arriving from
Maharashtra and Kerala to UP even if they have been found negative in the
RT-PCR test.
All persons coming from the two states will be screened though the mechanism to track and test them will be different.
As per the order, issued by additional chief secretary health and family welfare, Amit Mohan Prasad, those coming from these states and landing at airports would be tested through rapid antigen method even if they are non-symptomatic. Those showing flu-like symptoms will have to give their samples for RT-PCR test.
The symptomatic persons, even if they are found
Covid negative in the RT-PCR test, will have to serve one-week quarantine either at their homes or at a health facility. Details of such persons will be notified to the domicile district for tracking purposes.
Chief medical officers and district surveillance officers will have to collect details of persons arriving from the two states from the railway and bus stations in their domains and undertake testing work as required. The people may also contact their district health office and self-notify their arrival.
The government also directed district units to publicise Covid-19 prevention protocol at points of arrival like airports, railway stations and bus stations. In addition to this, the government revived the gram and mohalla nigrani samiti to keep an eye on the people and under home isolation and alert the system in case of non-compliance.
The order also instructed districts to keep an eye on cases of acute respiratory infection in their districts and undertake Covid-19 testing in case of any unusual pattern.
Earlier, reviewing the Covid-19 situation in UP, the CM told officials to take all possible steps and ensure that the pandemic virus continued to lie low in the state.
“While cases are increasing in many states, the number of active patients is constantly on the decline in UP. Therefore, surveillance and testing activities must remain in top gear to ensure that the chain of infections is not able to find any footing in Uttar Pradesh,” the CM said.
He also told officials to schedule and undertake more focused testing activities and bring out hidden cases from vulnerable pockets. Reiterating that Covid-19 prevention protocol was a potent tool to keep troubles away, the CM urged people to follow social distancing, wash hands often and wear masks in public places.
Meanwhile, 121 new cases took the state's tally to 6,03,350. Of the total, 5,92,441 including 114 in the past 24 hours have recovered. Also, two persons died of the pandemic infection taking the total number of deaths due to covid-19 to 8,725.