India ready for self-imposed curfew

MUST FOR ALL HOSPITALISED PATIENTS WITH PNEUMONIA TO GET TESTED FOR COVID-19

- DHIRENDRA KUMAR

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for a ‘Janata Curfew’ to contain the spread of COVID-19, the nation is all set to observe an unannounced ‘lockdown’ on Sunday from 7 am to 9 pm.

During the self-imposed ‘lockdown’, the people would voluntarily stay indoors, while public transport, including Railways, will be suspended and all markets, shops — except those dealing in essential items — will be closed too.

Leading from the front, the Union Health Ministry has made it a must for all hospitalised patients with pneumonia to go for Coronavirus testing after the country reported a rise in the number of confirmed cases. The ministry has operationalised a total of 111 testing labs across the country.

As per the new testing norm released by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), all the contacts need to be tested even if they are perfectly okay and do not display any COVID-19 symptoms.

It also stated that those who come in direct or high-risk contact with a COVID-19 confirmed case should also be tested between the fifth and 14th day of coming in contact with the confirmed case.

On Saturday, the total number of confirmed cases reached 315, out of which 288 are active, 39 foreign nationals, 23 have been discharged and four dead.

Parliamentarian Dushyant Singh, who had partied with Kanika Kapoor – now COVID-19 positive, has been tested negative, while the test report of his mother Vasundhara Raje is still awaited.