New Delhi: As India’s COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the Indian Council of Medical Research has released an advisory on “Purposive Testing Strategy”, suggesting that some individuals need not be tested for infection. The guidelines come even as India’s daily COVID-19 tally hovered near the 1.8 lakh mark on Monday morning. The ICMR document makes no mention of contact tracing norms.
According to the newly released advisory, asymptomatic individuals, patients being discharged from a COVID-19 facility as per revised discharge policy as well as those discharged in line with home isolation guidelines need not be tested. Contacts of confirmed cases of COVID-19 need not be tested unless identified as high risk based on age or comorbidities, the ICMR said.
Symptomatic patients and at-risk contacts of COVID-19 patients (senior citizens and comorbid individuals) will need to get tested.
While individuals undertaking inter-state domestic travel do not need to be tested, the ICMR has said that international travellers will need to get tested. International travellers arriving at Indian airports and ports of entry as per laid down guidelines must also get tested.