Karnataka mandates COVID test for people identified by govt

The order invoking section (4) of 'The Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Ordinance 2020' comes after it was noticed that certain individuals were refusing to get tested, hampering the efforts to stop the transmission of COVID-19.

Bengaluru:The Karnataka government on Tuesday ordered that all individuals who are identified for the COVID-19 test by the government shall get tested to control the spread and save lives.

According to the order by the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services, the primary and secondary contacts of COVID-positive individual, influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) patients, staff and health care workers engaged in COVID treatment, persons in containment/buffer zones, or any persons identified by the health staff to be at risk of COVID-19 or suspected of COVID-19, etc. should mandatorily undergo COVID test.

The order invoking section (4) of 'The Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Ordinance 2020' comes after it was noticed that certain individuals were refusing to get tested, hampering the efforts to stop the transmission of COVID-virus.

To ramp up the efforts to curb the infection, the government will specify the persons who need to be tested by way of circulars from time to time.

As the world is grappling with the deadly pandemic, effective and early testing helps in saving lives, bring down fatality rates, and break the chain of transmission.

Coronavirus cases in India reached 67,57,132 on Tuesday including 9,07,883 active cases, 57,44,694 cured/discharged/migrated cases and 1,04,555 deaths, as told by the Union health ministry.