Punjab to go for COVID-19 rapid antigen testing

Punjab CM Amarinder Singh gave his consent to the pilot project for COVID-19 rapid antigen testing across the state, as well as e-registration for people entering the state from the high-risk NCR region.

Chandigarh (Punjab): Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday gave the go-ahead for launching a pilot project for COVID-19 rapid antigen testing from the coming week, as well as e-registration for people entering the state to ensure strict monitoring of those coming from the high-risk NCR region.

On successful completion of the pilot rapid antigen project, which will cover a minimum of 1,000 tests, such testing would be done on the migrants coming back to the state in the wake of reopening of industries and for work in the paddy fields.

The state will procure rapid antigen testing kits to scale up its COVID-19 testing capacity, which is even now higher than the Central government's mandate of 140 tests per million per day in regions with positivity factor of less than 10 per cent.

With positivity rate of just two per cent, Punjab is already conducting 242 tests per million a day as part of its strategy to check further spread of the pandemic.

Notwithstanding the Centre's revised guidelines replacing home quarantine for domestic travellers with self-monitoring, the Chief Minister ruled out any such move in Punjab because of the large number of people coming to the state every day from Delhi and the NCR, where cases were currently spiralling.

He also made it clear that no vehicle should be allowed to enter Punjab without a stringent monitoring mechanism in place.

Amarinder Singh was reviewing the COVID-19 situation and preparedness in the state with senior government and health officials, through video conference.

(IANS report)