New Delhi: The Ministry of Health on Saturday (September 5) issued an updated advisory on COVID-19 testing which has further simplified the testing process and given more freedom and flexibility to the State authorities.
As per the new advisory, the state governments can decide simplified modalities for on-demand testing for all individuals who wish to get themselves tested.
The Health Ministry statement read, ''A totally new section has been added in the Advisory on “Testing on Demand” which for all practical purposes does away with prescription by a registered medical practitioner although State governments have the freedom to decide on simplified modalities.''
Health Ministry issues Updated Advisory on #COVID19 testing.
Simplified Testing Procedure & ‘On-demand’ Testing for the first time.https://t.co/BhOcMQp4Xs@PMOIndia @drharshvardhan @AshwiniKChoubey @PIB_India @DDNewslive @airnewsalerts @ICMRDELHI @mygovindia @COVIDNewsByMIB
— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) September 5, 2020
The Advisory also said that no re-testing is recommended prior to discharge from a COVID-19 facility after clinical recovery, including for transfer from a COVID area/ facility to a non-COVID area/ facility.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health informed that there has been an unprecedented upsurge in India’s daily testing capacities, adding that for two successive days more than 11.70 lakh tests have been conducted per day.
The total COVID-19 test count in the country now stands at 4 crore and 77 lakh till date. There are now 1647 testing laboratories operational which cover all States/UTs.
Earlier on Friday, ICMR suggested that 100 percent of people living in containment zones should be tested by rapid antigen tests, particularly in cities where there has been the widespread transmission of the infection.
Under `routine surveillance in containment zones and screening at points of entry`, the advisory recommended testing of all asymptomatic high-risk individuals (people above 65 and those with co-morbidities etc.) in containment zones, it said.
