To contain the spread of COVID-19 in villages, the State government has asked health and other department personnel to take up door-to-door visits and conduct Rapid Antigen Tests.
“Doorstep tracing and testing will be among the various steps to be taken by the State government to contain COVID-19 in rural areas,’’ Chief Secretary P. Ravikumar said in Belagavi on Thursday.
He was speaking to officers after visiting the COVID war room and the COVID Care Centres set up by the district administration in the city.
“We should go door to door and test. That is the best way to detect the disease early and contain its spread,” he said.
He said that the Union government has on ICMR recommendations allowed Rapid Antigen tests to confirm infections. “We are supposed to conduct at least 30% such tests. But the rate of such tests in most districts is low. If we don’t do this, it will be very difficult to manage the pandemic,” he said.
“Rapid Antigen Test results are enough to collect data. But RT-PCR tests should be recommended if a person has symptoms, but tests negative,’’ he said.
He noted that there are some cases where those who gave samples also gave false addresses and wrong phone numbers. This should be avoided. Wrong address will create difficulties in ensuring home isolation or treatment of patients. Officers should verify addresses and get alternative phone numbers. The COVID war room should keep an eye on those who test positive. Once the test results are received, medical kits should be sent to patients houses, he said.
The State government has modified patient discharge rules. Now, a COVID-19 patient shall be discharged after 10 days, if he has not suffered from fever in three penultimate days.
He asked officers to allot government quota beds through the district administration portal. This is being followed in Bengaluru, Mysuru and Dharwad. This should be replicated in the State, he said.
He asked officers to start COVID Care Centres in each taluk and to shift all positive persons to such centres as home isolation is not recommended when the disease is on the rise.
Task forces of volunteers and officers should be formed at the gram panchayat level and forced to shift positive patients to care centres and to spread awareness about the epidemic.
The Chief Secretary asked Regional Commissioner Amlan Aditya Biswas to appoint doctors and other medical professionals wherever necessary. The State government has allowed the appointing authority to pay higher remuneration if doctors are not available, he said.
Mr. Biswas said that the time for results was reduced to two days from three in the past, as data entry is being made at the taluk level.
Deputy Commissioner M.G. Hiremath and Police Commissioner K. Thiyagarajan and others were present.
