In the wake of the increasing cases of COVID, Chandigarh Administration has notified all the government hospitals to make Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test mandatory. The administration has mandated RT-PCR tests for patients in emergency wards and those admitted through outpatient departments (OPDs).
The notification was issued after several countries including India, China, Japan, USA, Brazil and Korea has put on alert. At least three cases of the Omicron subvariant BF.7 have been reported in India.
After Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a high-level meeting where it asked all the States and Union territories to take precautionary measures and wear face masks, practice frequent hand washing/sanitisation and maintain social distancing.
The Ministry of Health has also issued directions to airport officials to screen every passenger coming from the neighbouring nations, especially from China.
BF.7, a sub-lineage of Omicron variant BA.5, has the strongest infection ability since it is highly transmissible, has a shorter incubation period and has a higher capacity to cause reinfection or infect even those vaccinated.
Top epidemiologists have predicted that more than 60 percent of China and 10 percent of the world’s population are likely to be infected over the next 90 days with death likely in the millions.
