Govt decides to open testing, isolation and quarantine facilities down to district level to check Coronavirus

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr P K Mishra yesterday chaired an inter-ministerial meeting to review preparedness and response on the novel coronavirus issue. Yesterday’s meeting was the latest in a series of stock-taking meetings at the Prime Minister's Office, with the first held on 25th January.

To further enhance the level of preparedness, there will be universal screening at all international airports and sea-ports through use of thermal imagery equipment as well as mandatory filling of declaration forms of places visited by tourists and travellers returning from abroad. 

Ministry of Home Affairs was tasked to work closely with state governments, including relevant district administration officials, to ensure compliance with screening protocols at Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) on the land borders. National Informatics Centre would provide the requisite support to the Bureau of Immigration and Home Ministry in this regard.

Decisions were taken to rapidly implement opening of proper testing, isolation and quarantine facilities in various parts of the country, down to the district level in partnership with the state governments. Ministries such as Home Affairs, Defence, Railways and Labour would also seek to support and supplement the efforts of Health Ministry through use of their facilities and hospitals.

To disseminate information to the general public in a timely manner, including relevant advisories and ‘Do’s and Don’t’s’, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was tasked to work closely with Ministry of Health, Ministry of



Human Resource Development and National Disaster Management Authority. For this purpose, Ministry of Health has started a system of regular daily briefings by their spokesperson, so as to ensure access to real time data for the public in a timely manner. 

Ministry of Health is also coordinating the activation of a GIS mapping of ‘disease hotspots’ and availability of medical facilities, with NDMA, relevant agencies and government departments. Ministry of Health briefed the meeting on the positive impact of a 24 hour medical help-line, operational across the country since 23rd January 2020, with ten dedicated telephone-lines, that has so far received over 6000 phone calls.

In light of the public health experts’ recommendation to avoid big public gatherings, it was decided that all Government departments and ministries shall consult Ministry of Health before organising Conferences and international meetings in the country at present.

 

The pro-active measures taken so far which have contained spread of the virus in India, despite a big population and geographical proximity to the epicentre of the disease, were appreciated by all.

Meeting was attended by Cabinet Secretary, Foreign Secretary, Secretaries of Ministries of Health, Civil Aviation, Information and Broadcasting, Shipping, Tourism, Chairman (Airport Authority of India), Secretary (Border Management), MHA and senior officials from Defence forces, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Niti Ayog and the Prime Minister’s Office.