Pondy CM, ministers, MLAs to be tested for COVID-19
Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao told reporters herethat the medical test would be held between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.on Thursday and test results would be available by April 25.
"We will use the RTPCR equipment to conduct the test," hesaid.
Stressing the need for such a test for the people'srepresentatives, the Health Minister said they had been movingabout in various places to ascertain whether the socialdistancing was adhered to by the public.
"To be on safe side the test had been planned now forpeople in public life."
The government had stayed the use of Rapid Kits receivedlast night from the Centre for testing the COVID 19.
"The ICMR has now directed the government to refrain fromusing the kits in view of the kits being not up to the mark. "We will take steps once we get clearance from the Centreon using the kits," Rao added.
Puducherry had established a good record of having onlythree positive cases who were under treatment in the IndiraGandhi Government Medical college hospital.
"There would be no relaxation of the norms as we have towait for nearly 10 days for the lockdown to come to an end,"the Minister said.
He feared that if restrictions were relaxed, patientsfrom neighbouring States, which were in red zone would troopinto Puducherry and its outlying regions.
Hence, the territorial government had come out with aplan to associate the JIPMER to take care of patients at theborder points here.
"Only emergency cases from neighbouring districts ofVillupuram and Cuddalore would be attended in JIPMER whilepatients with normal and non serious ailments could be turnedaway at the border points," he said.
According to the health department, door to doorsurveillance had been conducted in the Union Territorycovering 2,51,381 families which meant 9,54,226 persons hadbeen covered out of the total nearly 13 lakh population. CORROH ROH