Skip to main content

Kerala Deploys Health Workers at 4 Airports Amid Omicron Scare, Mandates 14-Day Quarantine for Travellers from High-Risk Countries

Kochi: Amid the emergence of a worrying new omicron COVID-19 variant and its spread in around 15 countries and more, several states across India have planned stringent and preventive measures to avoid the risk of its spread in the country. And, as part of its efforts to tackle the spread of the new variant, Kerala has deployed health workers at all the four airports in the state in order to collect samples and conduct testing of people coming from foreign countries, said Health Minister Veena George.

The minister has also announced that all international passengers arriving from high-risk nations, which have reported cases of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron, will have to undergo 14 days quarantine when they reach the state. The minister said details of the passengers arriving will be collected from the airport and handed over to the departments concerned to ensure home quarantine and contact tracing.

The minister said, “As per guidelines of Govt of India, we discussed the steps we’ve taken so far and what steps are to be taken. Our health workers will be there at all four airports, data will be collected and we’ll share this with the Police Dept and others.” “All those who are travelling from at-risk countries have to be in quarantine for 7 days. They have to do the RT-PCR test again on the 8th day and if they’re negative they still have to observe further isolation of 7 days. So, they’ve to be in quarantine for 14 days,” she added.

We have analysed all this and informed all our DMOs, DPMs etc. We have communicated with the districts, the minister said. George said those passengers found positive will be shifted to a treatment centre, set up by the state government on the directions of the union government.

“The passengers from the high-risk nations should undergo home quarantine for seven days. On the eighth day they should test again. If they are found negative, they need to remain under quarantine for seven more days,” she told the media.

The minister said those found positive would be shifted the treatment centre and separate wards would be set up for them on the union government’s direction.

“We have been regularly conducting genomic surveillance. We are testing whether there is any new variant in the state. As of now, we have not found one. If anyone coming from the high risk countries are found positive, their samples will be sent for genomic surveillance,” she said.

George said five per cent of passengers coming from other countries will be tested randomly as per the directions issued by the union government. “They should be under self-monitoring,” she added.



source https://www.india.com/news/india/kerala-omicron-covid-variant-mandates-14-day-quarantine-for-international-passengers-health-workers-at-4-airports-5116706/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UK Makes Face Mask Mandatory As Omicron Virus Spreads, 22 Test Positive

London: Face coverings are mandatory in shops and public transport from Tuesday as part of targeted measures” to slow the spread of the Omicron variant, 22 cases of which have now been detected in the UK after Scotland and England reported further infections. Individuals linked with all new cases, identified in the East Midlands, the East of England, London, and the North West, are all isolating and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said work is underway to identify any links to travel to southern Africa. “It is very likely that we will find more cases over the coming days as we are seeing in other countries globally and as we increase case detection through focused contact tracing, said Dr Jenny Harries, UKHSA Chief Executive. The enhanced measures, announced last week as a precaution while more information is gathered and assessed on the new variant’s transmissibility and any possible effect on current COVID-19 vaccines, also include compulsory PCR tests on arrival for all int...
Post a Comment
Read more

Weekly RT-PCR Mandatory For Unvaccinated Employees In Kerala. Details Here

Thiruvananthapuram : In an effort to make everyone get vaccinated, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said anyone not following COVID prevention measures, like vaccination, will not be provided free treatment. He also said that non-vaccinated teachers and employees who work from offices or interact with public will have to submit weekly results of RT-PCR tests. “No more free treatment for those who do not cooperate with Covid prevention measures. Non vaccinated teachers and employees who work from offices or interact with public, will have to submit weekly results of RT-PCR tests, paid for by themselves, to ensure safety of all,” Vijayan said in a tweet. No more free treatment for those who do not cooperate with Covid prevention measures. Non vaccinated teachers and employees who work from offices or interact with public, will have to submit weekly results of RTPCR tests, paid for by themselves, to ensure safety of all. — Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) November ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Taking All Possible Precautions, No Case of Omicron in India so Far: Health Minister in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: No case of COVID19 variant Omicron has been reported in India so far, Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour. Speaking in the Upper House on Tuesday, Mandaviya assured that the government is taking all possible precautions including screening of international passengers at airports and doing genome sequencing. “This new variant has been found in 14 countries. There is no case of Omicron in India yet. We are taking all possible precautions and doing genome sequencing as well”, the Health Minister said. No case of COVID19 variant #Omicron reported in India so far: Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour Source: Sansad TV pic.twitter.com/89sFr7uij1 — ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2021 Contrary to the health minister’s statement, Dr. Samiran Panda, head of Epidemiology at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) asserted that the ‘new strain is possibly already in the country and it may be a m...
Post a Comment
Read more