Strict containment, focus on high-risk population aiding Punjab's COVID recovery: Health ministry

Implementing strict containment measures and focusing on managing those who are vulnerable and at a high risk, along with rigorous surveillance, are aiding the recovery of COVID-19 patients in Punjab, the Union health ministry said on Monday.

"Punjab has shown good progress in containing the virus spread. The state continues to post a high recovery rate," the ministry said.

Listing initiatives taken by the Punjab government, the ministry said a key feature of the multi-pronged strategy was its focus on government quarantine for the high-risk and vulnerable population from containment zones.

With an aim to reduce mortality, vulnerable population groups such as those aged above 60 and having cardiac or renal diseases, hypertension, diabetes or with immune-compromised conditions are offered the facility of government quarantine outside their containment zones till their area is denotified.

Quarantine facilities are being offered at hotels/lodges or other suitable places. One caregiver is allowed to accompany the vulnerable person, the ministry said in a statement.

All the medical needs of the person are taken care of in the quarantine facilities. A medical officer supervises and inspects the persons in the quarantine facility twice a day, it said.

Punjab has also implemented a stringent containment strategy, as part of which containment zones are clearly delineated as a street or two adjoining streets, a mohalla or a residential society.

These can be an entire society, in case of small societies, or a part of it if the societies are large, depending upon the distribution of COVID-19 cases. In the rural areas, it can encompass a whole village or be limited to a part of a village.

"The principle underlying this detailing is to focus on effective containment of smaller/limited areas. Early identification has helped in containing the spread of the infection," the ministry said.

So far, 19 containment zones have been established in eight districts, having a population of around 25, 000.

Perimeter control ensures restriction of all movement and activities except the essential services. Rigorous house-to-house search is carried out to identify people with symptoms/suspected COVID-19.

Those testing positive for COVID-19 are promptly shifted to the isolation centres. Thus, the whole population in a containment area is screened regularly and all possible suspected cases of COVID-19 are tested and positives shifted to isolation centres, the ministry said.

Punjab has reported 4,074 coronavirus infection cases and 99 deaths so far, according to the health ministry's figure updated at 8 am.

The Punjab government is also carrying out surveillance through house-to-house survey.

"Ghar Ghar Nigrani” is a mobile-based app launched by the Punjab government to check the spread of the coronavirus infection. The door-to-door survey is undertaken with the help of ASHA workers and community volunteers to ensure early detection and timely testing.

Through the app, the entire rural and urban population above the age of 30 years is being surveyed. This includes checking for people with co-morbidities and SARI/ILI surveillance. The data generated is being used for risk-mapping which facilitates targeted interventions, the ministry said.

As on June 22, 8,40,223 people have been surveyed, of whom 8,36,829 were found to be asymptomatic and 3,997 with symptoms like cough, fever, sore throat and breathlessness etc.

The survey, which is still underway, has been completed in 5,512 villages and 1,112 urban wards.

Punjab has ramped up its testing capacity and currently is conducting around 8,000 tests per day. Mobile testing vans are being used. While the number was 71 tests per million on April 10, it has significantly been ramped up to 5,953 tests/million now, it said.

In order to restrict the spread of the virus, Punjab has imposed restrictions on weekends and holidays, and strict enforcement of all protocols are being ensured through fines, the ministry stated.