Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry on Saturday, 21 March, said that the ministry is contact-tracing around 7,000 novel coronavirus cases in the country to check the source of the infection of theses cases and rule out community spread.
“As of today, we are contact-tracing around 7,000 cases. Once we get factual information on community transmission cases we will let people know.”
Aggarawal also said that a total of 111 labs for testing coronavirus have been commissioned across the country and will be functional from 21 March.
“An agreement has been reached with private labs for conducting COVID-19 tests. When this has been confirmed, we will brief the media."
Hospitals have also been briefed and trained on mock drills for outpatient discharge, emergency room services, ambulances and infection control practices have also been conducted.
Asymptomatic cases in hospitals will now be tested on the fifth and fourteenth day of the mandatory quarantine.
Aggarwal also said that the states have been asked to use the National Health Mission funds for their health sector preparedness.
Coronavirus cases in India rose to 283 on Saturday, after 60 fresh cases were reported in various parts of the country, the Union Health Ministry said.
The total includes 39 foreign nationals, including 17 from Italy, three from the Philippines, two from the UK, one each from Canada, Indonesia and Singapore.
It also includes four deaths reported from Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra.
(with inputs from PTI)
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