Govt to augment Lab facilities for screening the Novel Coronavirus across country

The government has decided to augment the lab facilities in the country for a screening of Novel Coronavirus. Six more labs will start functioning from today. These are NIV Bengaluru Unit, Victoria Hospital Campus, KR Road, Fort, Bengaluru, AIIMS, New Delhi, NCDC, Delhi, Kasturba Hospital for infectious diseases, Mumbai and NIV - Kerala Unit.

Six other labs will also start functioning by today. These are ICMR - NICED, Kolkata, GMC, Secunderabad, KGMU, Lucknow, SMS, Jaipur, IGGMC, Nagpur and KIPMR, Chennai.

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba yesterday reviewed the preparedness for Novel Coronavirus with the concerned Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, External Affairs, Defence, Home Affairs, Civil Aviation, Information and Broadcasting, Labour and Employment, and Shipping. The Cabinet Secretary also reviewed preparedness with the Chief Secretaries of the States and Union Territories through Video Conferencing.

All those who have come from China after the 15th of this month shall be tested as there is an incubation period for the virus. The Cabinet Secretary stressed the need for 14 days’ home isolation for all those who have returned from China. It was also advised that the trip to China should be avoided.  

 

The discharge portal for patients have been prepared by DGHS which is being disseminated.



The government has decided to put up check-posts in relevant tourist locations for better surveillance.

Gram panchayats are being organized to make people more aware of the symptoms, precautions, and measures taken by the State Governments regarding prevention and management for Novel Coronavirus in villages bordering Nepal.

States have been advised to open control rooms, appoint a nodal officer and popularize the control room number. IEC material is to be prepared in the local language by the concerned States.

 

One positive case of Novel Coronavirus patient, of a student studying the Wuhan University, has been reported in Kerala. The patient has tested positive for Novel Coronavirus and is in isolation in the hospital. The patient is stable and is being closely monitored.

A total of 234 flights and over 43 thousand passengers have been screened.

National Institute of Virology, Pune is fully geared up to test samples of nCoV. Adequate lab reagents are available with NIV, Pune to test 5000 samples. 49 samples were referred to NIV for testing out of which 48 have tested as Negative.

High-level review meetings on preparedness are regularly being held by the Union Health Minister, Cabinet Secretary and Health Secretary.