Balbir Singh Sidhu instructs Civil Surgeons to conduct thorough checking of persons under Home Quarantine

Balbir Singh Sidhu instructs Civil Surgeons to conduct thorough checking of persons under Home Quarantine

Around 18,929 persons put under home quarantine

A total of 2887 cases reported, out of which 569 are active in Punjab

COVID-I9 RT- PCR tests being done for all persons arrested by police

Health Personnel posted with Department of Jails and Police to be trained for collection & packing of samples

Nabaz-e-Punjab Bureau, Chandigarh, June 11:
In order to ensure strict compliance of guidelines regarding home quarantine, the Health Minister Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu today issued the instructions to all Civil Surgeons to conduct thorough checking of persons under home quarantine.
Disclosing this here today, the Health Minister said that after witnessing the large number of people affected from COVID-19 in Delhi, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh ordered lockdown on the weekends and public holidays which could definitely prove helpful as maximum numbers of passengers have continuously been coming into Punjab by crossing the India’s Capital by all means of transport such as Air, Rail and by road.
Mr. Sidhu said that around 18,929 persons have been put under home quarantine by the Health department. Besides Rapid Response Teams of health department, Special teams have been constituted under the supervision of Deputy Commissioners to check such persons. “Strict action is being taken against violators by these teams under the guidelines issued by State Government”, he added.
Talking about the COVID-19 cases in State, Mr. Sidhu said that as of today 82 positive cases have been reported while 27 persons discharged from the isolation centres. A total of 2887 cases reported, out of which just 569 are active, 2259 patients have been recovered and 59 deaths reported so far in State.
Revealing about the measures taken to stop the spread among the inmates, the Health Minister said that it has been made mandatory that COVID-I9 RT- PCR tests would be done for all persons arrested by police whether symptomatic or asymptomatic as they are high risk category persons. The samples to be taken at the nearest health facility and the samples marked as priority and sent to Government Lab on priority basis.
Mr. Sidhu further said that COVID-I9 RT-PCR test will also be conducted for all prisoners before shifting them from Special Jails to Regular Jails. If the number of samples to be taken are 40 and above then a medical team from the Health Department shall visit the jail to collect the samples. But if the number of samples to be taken is less than 40, then the prisoners shall be taken to the nearest sample collection center. Samples shall be collected in regular working hours.
Underlining the training of Health personnel working with Department of Jails and Department of Police for collection and packing of COVID – 19 samples, he said that all Health Personnel (Medical and Paramedical staff) posted with Department of Jails and Police should be trained for collection and packing of Nasopharyngeal / Oropharyngeal Swabs for RT – PCR COVID-19 Testing. After training, the Medical and Paramedical staff deputed with Department of Jails and Police shall collect samples of Jail inmates and Police Personnel on regular basis and pack them as per Protocol for sending to the District Headquarters for onward submission to Labs for testing.
The Civil Surgeon should assign Collection Center-IDs to collection centers identified for these departments for real time feeding on RT – PCR APP as well as provide logistics for sample collection and packaging.