Centre pulls up states/UTs on drop in Covid testing, cites positivity trend

The Union ministry of health and family welfare on Tuesday said Covid-19 testing in many states and Union territories (UT) was on a decline and asked the authorities concerned to “pay immediate attention” to the issue and increase testing in a “strategic manner”.

In a letter, additional secretary in the ministry Arti Ahuja said this was required keeping in view the trend of case positivity in specific geographies within the states and UTS.

The official said that testing remained a crucial component in the pandemic management framework across the country. “However, it is seen from the data available on the ICMR portal that testing has declined in many states and Union territories,” she said.

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“Please note that in all advisories on testing issued by ICMR, including the latest advisory dated 10 January, 2022, the basic objective remains early detection of cases for quick isolation and care,” she added.

The letter said testing remained a “key strategy” for pandemic management due to two reasons, the first being identification of new clusters and new hotspots of cases that could facilitate action to be taken such as setting up of containment zones, contact tracing, quarantining, isolation and following up.

“This can enable the state and district administration to curb the spread of infection,” the letter said.

The other reason was to ensure reduction in mortality and morbidity, the ministry said. “Progression of disease to a severe category can be averted by strategic testing of those who are at high risk and more vulnerable, as well as in areas where the spread is likely to be higher,” it said.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in its latest advisory on January 10 regarding Covid testing, said all symptomatic individuals and the ‘at-risk’ contacts of those who had tested Covid positive must be tested for the disease. Cough, fever, sore throat, loss of taste and/or smell, breathlessness and/or other respiratory issues were some of the symptoms listed by the council. This advisory was reiterated by the ministry in its letter.

The ministry also highlighted its previous advisories in which it had recommended that “strategic and focused testing should be done of people who are vulnerable, living in closed surroundings, in densely populated areas in emerging new clusters and new hot spots of positive cases etc”.

“In order to ensure that an effective track of the spread of the pandemic is kept and also immediate citizen centric action is initiated, it is incumbent upon all states/UTs to enhance testing,” the ministry said.