Health Secretary reviews state preparedness for Covid-19

Health Secretary Preeti Sudan reviewed preparedness with the concerned states and union territories on COVID-19 through video conference. The Health Secretary stated that various precautionary measures have been undertaken in close coordination with the concerned ministries at the central and the state level.

New Delhi: Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan on Saturday said that there is a need for states and union territories to maintain high vigil and be alert with respect to the protocols for community surveillance and screening at the airports and checkpost.

Sudan told this during a review meeting over preparedness and actions taken with different state governments and union territories over Covid 19 through video conferencing.

Sudan also underscored the importance of sturdy and effective community surveillance measures.

Health Secretary Sudan also advised states and UTs to ensure that necessary protocols for collection and testing of blood samples are followed.

State Health secretaries, senior officials of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Airport Public Health Officers (APHOs) also took part in the review meeting.

Officials said that states and UTs have been advised to provide the requisite manpower to strengthen the APHOs at the airports and check posts.

The meeting also emphasised on the J&K and Ladakh's surveillance and community risk communication system for passengers coming from Iran.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus report in respect to 112 evacuees from Wuhan and presently at the ITBP Chawla facility has been found negative. The evacuees included 36 foreign nationals.

The group of foreign nationals include 23 from Bangladesh, 6 from China, two each from Myanmar and Maldives and one each from Madagascar, South Africa and the US.