Travellers from Maha, Kerala to be tested for Covid at UP airports, rly and bus stns
Those who get RT-PCR test done and are found negative before boarding a flight, train or travelling by road to UP, won’t be tested again in the state
LUCKNOW: People arriving in Uttar Pradesh from Maharashtra and Kerala will have to get tested for Covid-19 at airports and railway and bus stations across the state. However, those who get RT-PCR test done and are found negative before boarding a flight, train or travelling by road to UP, won’t be tested again in the state.
The travellers will have to stay in home or facility isolation if they test positive. They will have to quarantine themselves for a week even if their test report is negative, said director general, health and family welfare, Dr DS Negi. He said if people visiting UP from Maharashtra and Kerala get RT-PCR test done before leaving, then no fresh test will be conducted inUP.
LUCKNOW: People arriving in Uttar Pradesh from Maharashtra and Kerala will have to get tested for Covid-19 at airports and railway and bus stations across the state. However, those who get RT-PCR test done and are found negative before boarding a flight, train or travelling by road to UP, won’t be tested again in the state.
The travellers will have to stay in home or facility isolation if they test positive. They will have to quarantine themselves for a week even if their test report is negative, said director general, health and family welfare, Dr DS Negi.
He said if people visiting UP from Maharashtra and Kerala get RT-PCR test done before leaving, then no fresh test will be conducted in UP. “If their sample test is positive or they have Covid symptoms then they should avoid travelling and remain in isolation in their respective states,” he said.
Additional chief secretary, health and family welfare, Amit Mohan Prasad said Maharashtra and Kerala are witnessing a
surge in Covid cases whereas in Uttar Pradesh there is decline in the fresh cases. In some districts of UP, active cases are zero or in single digit. To check spread of coronavirus in UP it’s necessary to get travellers coming from high-case states tested and to quarantine them, he said.
A new strain of coronvirus has been also reported in some states. Sample tests and quarantine of travellers will check its spread in UP, he said.
Direction has been issued to all divisional commissioners, district magistrates and chief medical officers for Covid tests and quarantine of people coming from Maharashtra and Kerala.
The officers have been directed to conduct antigen test of passengers at airports. If passengers have Covid symptoms, then they will have to undergo RT-PCR test.
District administration officers have been directed to collect details of passengers coming from Maharashtra and Kerala from airport, railway and transport authorities. They will then hand over the list of passengers to district surveillance teams which in turn will ensure sample test and quarantine of the passengers, Prasad said. He said passengers should also take the initiative for sample test by informing CMOs and district
surveillance teams about their arrival in UP.
District health departments have been directed to display mobile and telephone numbers of CMOs and district surveillance teams at all airports, railway and bus stations, he said.
DMs have been directed to activate mohalla surveillance committees in urban areas and village surveillance committees in rural areas to collect information about arrival of people from Maharashtra and Kerala, he said. Members of these committees will ensure that people coming from these two states follow quarantine guidelines. If these people violate Covid guidelines, then members of these committees will alert the nearest government health unit, surveillance committee or district command centre, Prasad said.
He said health teams have been directed to conduct survey of households in urban and rural areas to identify people with acute respiratory problem. If they detect sudden increase in respiratory cases in any particular area then sample tests of all the people should be conducted. The district health department will also launch contact tracing of people to break the coronavirus infection chain, he said.
Testing at airport, rly & bus stns begins in Lko
Covid testing of passengers at Lucknow airport, railway and bus stations has already begun.
“Teams have been deployed at the airport, Charbagh railway station and Alambagh, Charbagh, Qaiserbagh and Awadh bus stations and also at toll gates where passengers are being screened,” said Yogesh Raghuvanshi, spokesperson for the office of CMO, Lucknow.
District magistrate Abhishek Prakash directed target testing of inbound passengers at railway and bus stations and the airport .He also directed target testing at dialysis centres, clinics and hospitals. “Covid cases are on the rise in some states. There’s a need to take precautionary measures to keep a check on the virus spreading in the city. Teams would also enquire about foreign passengers’ details and travel history of the preceding one week,” said Prakash.