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Health ministry writes to states on enhanced surveillance measures to curb Omicron spread

Amid fresh efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 especially the new variant of concern – Omicron in the country, health experts are questioning the monitoring of home quarantine protocols in the country.

Union health ministry officials told CNBC-TV18 that it has got various representations from various health experts and organisations working closely on monitoring health infrastructure in the country stating that the home quarantine protocols of international travellers from “at-risk” countries are not effective, states are unable to trace and track people with a travel history and thus needs urgent action.

In a letter to all states and UTs, union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Wednesday said Omicron positive cases are to be treated in designated Covid facilities with separate isolation areas earmarked for Omicron positive patients. “It has to be ensured that no cross-infection takes place.”

Further, Bhushan asked all states and UTs to seek urgent need and attention to enhance surveillance measures, continued efforts for monitoring of emerging hotspots, contact tracing of international travellers and those with travel history or of those who have come in contact with a passenger testing positive and constant follow-up for 14 days.

Bhushan also emphasised for states to keep a focus on improving health infrastructure and community sensitization as continued steps towards curbing the spread of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, sources said the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529 or Omicron has become a cause for concern and India is continuously identifying countries as “at-risk” countries. Current protocol mandates home quarantine for all who arrive from these “at-risk” countries and are COVID-19 negative in airport screening.

Feedback received from experts and health monitoring organisations states that the “home quarantine process is broken in most cases with many such travellers visiting restaurants, attending social get engagements and visiting public spaces. People have also reported gaps and delays in the process of information reaching the district officials and making contact with such travellers. Media reports also indicate that tens of thousands of international travellers across many districts have given false contact information at the airport and are untraceable, sources added.

A survey shared by LocalCircles — India’s leading independent community engagement platform for constructive causes, asked people what should be done to address this issue after it was raised and discussed, we received 18,000 responses from people in over 300 districts of India and the key findings included, “84 percent citizens want district officials to regularly inspect or location track individuals coming on international flights and under home quarantine. Also, 1 in 2 citizens in favour of suspending all international flights from countries with 20 or more Omicron cases.”

“According to people, the need of the hour is for government to ensure that a traveller arriving from an “at-risk” country must validate their phone number or email address to be approved for home quarantine via an OTP and if the same does not happen, the traveller should be put in mandatory institutional quarantine. People also suggested that location tracking of the travellers must be done via WhatsApp or Arogya Setu or some other mechanism such that they maintain the home quarantine discipline.

Also, according to people, the transfer of information of travellers sent by airport authorities to the district administration must be done in real-time. The findings in the survey indicate that people want timely action on this recommendation as they believe it will help India in isolating Omicron cases and possibly avert a 3rd COVID wave. We would request you to consider the above feedback and act on this in a timely manner,” LocalCircles in its representation to Bhushan said. CNBCTV18

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