Chandigarh: Haryana health and family welfare minister Anil Vij on Wednesday said that although there were no cases of Covid-19 in the state so far, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests would be conducted for cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (Sari) across the state.
Vij who was participating in a meeting regarding measures in response to the recent rise in Covid-19 cases and the detection of the JN1 variant, chaired by Union health minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya here, emphasised the necessity for mandatory RT-PCR tests for ILI and Sari cases, proposing that Covid-19 should be declared a notifiable disease.
Private hospitals to be on high alert
This would require private hospitals to inform the chief medical officer and government hospitals of any cases, he said and highlighted the importance of monitoring and reporting ILI and Sari to identify the initial trend of rising cases.
A mock drill has been conducted in Haryana, and all necessary preparations have been completed, he said and added that Haryana had 238 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants in working condition. ``This disease was resurfacing similarly to before, so it should be taken seriously. We have successfully tackled this disease before and are fully prepared’’, he said.
