On a day when the number of COVID-19 cases crossed the 1 lakh mark in Maharashtra, Minister of Public Health Rajesh Tope made a crucial announcement that people who are not displaying symptoms pertaining to the virus do not need to be tested for it. On the contrary, those displaying symptoms should immediately undergo a test without any delay, he stressed.
“There’s no question of conducting tests if there are no symptoms," Tope said. He called upon the people to take all precautionary measures, including maintaining a social distance at public places and workplaces, till a vaccine is available."
Tope has urged the Union Minister of Health Harsh Vardhan to give an approval to Indian companies to produce Remdesivir, as doctors have said that it is a promising drug to treat the virus.
Also, an area tagged as a COVID-19 containment zone will be de-notified if no new infected patient is found there for 14 days in a row instead of the earlier protocol of 28 days. He informed that there were around 3,900 containment zones across the state at present. "Now, the period over which a containment zone is de-notified has been reduced to 14 days from 28 days. This means, if no new patient is found in a containment zone for 14 days in a row, it will be de-notified. The barricades there will be removed and people can then step outside like those in other areas," he noted.
He, however, reiterated that no movement from and towards a containment zone is allowed except for essential services. The restrictions in the containment zones continue even though other parts of the state have been unlocked in a phased manner, he said.
