Varanasi: The district administration has issued strict directives making Covid-19 antigen test mandatory for every visitor coming from Maharashtra or Kerala in view of the fresh wave of Covid-19 in these two states.
District magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma convened a meeting with chief medical officer Dr VB Singh, other senior health officials and district Covid-19 surveillance team on Monday evening to finalise a strategy for proper monitoring of people coming from Maharashta and Kerala.
The DM said that as the number of new Covid cases and active cases have become low, all necessary precautions are being taken to avoid formation of new chain of infection. Sharma asked the CMO to place teams at LBSI Airport to ensure Covid antigen test of all passengers, especially those coming from Maharashtra and Kerala. In case of detection of symptoms the RTPCR test should also be conducted, he added.
The health officials have been asked to collect details of people coming by trains, buses or other means of transport from these states, from the transport service providers. He said, “We also appeal to the passengers coming from these states to come forward voluntarily for necessary tests.”
The CMO said that teams are being engaged at airport with antigen kits and kits for collecting samples. He said that people coming from these states will have to remain home quarantined for a week while in case of being tested positive, the decision of keeping them in home or facility isolation will be taken.
The details of people coming from these states will be made available to district Covid-19 surveillance team to ensure action as per the prescribed guidelines.