Centre asks States to test grocery shop workers, vendors; says they can possibly be virus spreaders

The Union Health Ministry has advised states and Union Territories (UT) to take up testing of shopkeepers and vendors to ensure early detection of covid-19 cases. This can lead to reduction in mortality rate.
In a letter to States and UTs, Secretary in the Health Ministry, Rajesh Bhushan, stressed on the need for operationalising ambulance transport system with oxygen facility and quick response mechanism.
He underlined that the refusal rate of ambulances must be monitored on a daily basis and brought down to zero. Bhushan said the cases are likely to be scattered or there could be large outbreaks in districts and that the primary aim is to control outbreaks especially in new locations.
He said, “The focus at the same time should be to save lives at all cost.” Adding to this Mr. Bhushan said “While we have so far done better than many other countries in this respect, our aim should be to further reduce mortality and ensure that it does not cross the 1% mark,” in the letter, addressed to Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and Secretaries (Health)
He also said that Early detection of cases is the most crucial element to ensure that the case fatality is reduced. It helps in terms of not only identifying the case before it may become critical but also supports in terms of checking the spread of infection.
The grocery shopkeepers, vegetable and other vendors can be potential spreaders of infection to a large number of people. Testing in such areas and of such people should be taken up proactively as per ICMR guidelines.
Mr. Bhushan stressed on enhanced surveillance for influenza-like illness (ILI)/severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) as their symptoms are mostly the same as COVID.
In the letter, Mr. Bhushan also said that a regular house-to-house search must be done periodically to identify those who are at high-risk, that is the elderly, people with comorbidities and pregnant women among others. All the suspected cases need to be tested immediately and this would help in early detection. Atleast 140 tests per million per day must be ensured with a strict monitoring of daily positivity rate. Based on the test results, the people who are found positive should be sent to a COVID care centre or should be kept under isolation in their homes.
Communication mechanism between the patients and their family members must be organised, he stated.
He also urged on the analysis of requirement of health infrastructure in terms of availability of sufficient oxygen supported beds, ICU beds and ventilators and taking advance action to upgrade health infrastructure as the cases are rising.