Isolation Is India's Best Weapon: ICMR

Lockdown is the most important step in breaking virus transmission, says its Director-General

- Bindu Shajan Perappadan

Isolation, and not indiscriminate testing, is the only way India can limit the spread of COVID-19, Balram Bhargava, Director-General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Sunday.

A lockdown is the most important step in breaking transmission of the infection, he said, adding that the State governments have now been directed to earmark hospitals specifically to accommodate COVID-19 patients.

India on Sunday reported a total of 396 cases and seven deaths, show Union Health Ministry data, with 14,90,303 persons screened at airports so far. The ICMR noted that it had tested over 16,109 individuals, and over 7,000 were currently under surveillance.