With the Omicron variant spreading, the Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan urged all the district collectors to keep abreast of the various developments and ensure that all follow the Covid appropriate behaviour and the SOPs for permitted activities, which should be monitored and enforced effectively.
Recently, the technical group of the State Task recommended a few measures, and the recommendations that are applicable at the District levels. These measures may be read with the earlier instructions already under implementation. Many are part of the protocols issued by the Government of India and State authorities and should be followed up, he said in a letter to the collectors.
All passengers from the high alert countries entering the State may be tested for Covid. Passengers tested who positive may be isolated and given appropriate treatment. The co-passengers who travelled along with the affected passenger may be quarantined for a week. The quarantine may be released after a follow-up testing after one week. All passengers who were negative may be followed up for one week for any onset of symptoms.
All the samples tested positive for Covid-19 may be sent for whole genome sequencing to detect the strain of the virus.
The State border surveillance should be strengthened to ensure that the inter-state transmission of the new strain may be prevented. Routine surveillance in the State should be strengthened by increasing the testing rates. All new clusters emerging may be epidemiologically investigated and the strain causing the cluster may be identified for further control measures
The vaccination drive may be strengthened to attain full vaccination for all the target population. The government may ensure appropriate Covid-19 behaviours in the community including mass compliance, social distancing and avoiding gatherings.
Mask compliance is abysmal at the community level. Awareness, enforcing and surveillance on mask compliance may be done. Social gatherings, including religious festivals to be strictly monitored and Covid appropriate behaviour ensured and enforced and challenges shared for decisions at the appropriate levels.
The recommendations made by the Task Force to handle the third wave are already under implementation and as mentioned by the State task force, those measures need to be reviewed for handling upswing in cases now, if any, he said in the letter.