Maha govt to conduct thermal testing of international passengers

The meeting was called following spurt in the Covid-19 cases in China and some other countries. Though the mask mandate and restrictions were discussed in the meeting, the government arrived at the conclusion that there was no need for immediate restrictions

Nagpur After a review meeting by chief minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday, the Maharashtra government has decided to conduct thermal testing of 2 per cent international passengers flying into the state. The government has advised children and people above 60 years old to wear masks in public places and also asked people to maintain social distance at crowded areas.

Thane, India - December 22, 2022: Thane Municipal Corporation COVID-19 Centre staff ready ICU beds according to the instructions by Central Government to all States to be on high alert as Covid-19 cases are rising in China and several other countries, at TMC's Parking Plaza Covid Cente, in Thane, India, on Thursday, December 22, 2022. (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

The meeting was called following spurt in the Covid-19 cases in China and some other countries. Though the mask mandate and restrictions were discussed in the meeting, the government arrived at the conclusion that there was no need for immediate restrictions.

The state has appointed nodal officers in all the districts and directed the district administration for genome sequencing of identified positive Covid-19 cases. The state government has decided to wait for further guidelines from the central government after a scheduled video conference with the state by the ministry of public health and family planning on Friday.

After the meeting, public health minister Tanaji Sawant said that there was no need to panic as the vaccination in the state has crossed 95 per cent and that the scanning of passengers will begin from Monday. On Wednesday, the minister had said that passengers found with symptoms will be isolated.

Sanjay Khandare, principal secretary, public health department said, “A detailed notification related to scanning of international passengers will be issued by BMC and respective municipal corporations soon.”

Sawant added that the elderly people over 60 years, those with co-morbidity and children were advised to use masks in public places. “We have decided to follow the five-point agenda of testing, tracking and treatment of patients and stepping up the vaccination. Though the transmissibility of new variant BF.7 is 10 times against the transmissibility of Omicron which was four times transmissible, there is no need to worry. None of the four patients found with the new variant found in China are from Maharashtra. Two each are from Gujarat and Orissa,” he said.

“We are watching the situation very closely. There would be more clarity on the steps to be taken after the video conference with the ministry of health of family planning on Friday. The guidelines by the centre will be followed thoroughly,” said a senior official from the health department. He said that they will review the situation again after the central government issues the guidelines.

The health department and various corporations were immediately asked to start preventive vaccination in the state. However, the stocks left with the health department and BMC is very meagre. They had not replenished stocks as the response to the vaccination was very poor.

In Mumbai, the BMC has been left with just 6000 doses of Covaxin and there is no stock of Corbevax or Covishield left, said an officer from public health department. BMC had closed down many vaccination centres due to poor response.

But additional municipal commissioner (BMC) Sanjeev Kumar, who supervises the working of health department, said, “We will get more vaccines. There will be no vaccine shortage.”

All jumbo treatment facilities of Covid in Mumbai have been shut down, but some can be re-erected. At the same time, the 1800 beds in SevenHills hospital can be activated immediately, a source said.

(Inputs by Yogesh Naik)