KOLKATA: Cases will decide when Covid mandate, including masks, will be introduced, CM Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday, making it clear that such decisions cannot be made on assumptions. Bengal has decided that all RT-PCR positive samples - irrespective of their CT value - detected in the past month will undergo genome sequencing.
"Bengal has no (BF.7) case now," the CM said, adding the state is vigilant of the fact that some cases (BF.7) have been reported in Kerala and Delhi.
The state health department has asked all labs to send such samples which will then be sequenced at National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG) Kalyani to detect the variant that is in circulation in the state.
All hospitals have also been asked to collect samples of patients coming with SARI (severe acute respiratory infection) and put those under RT-PCR test. "Covid-19 is much under control in the state. Even as there is no reason to press the alarm bell, we need to be vigilant due to the surge happening in some countries," said a senior official.
Asked about the Gangasagar Mela and year-end festivities, Banerjee ruled out any step, saying that, "We had conducted it during Covid with curbs in place."
Every single positive sample, this time, will be sequenced. All government hospital labs have been tagged with a depot centre where they are expected to send these samples by December 26 from where the samples will be forwarded to NIBMG.
Labs of private hospitals will send samples to School of Tropical Medicine Kolkata which in turn will forward them to Kalyani.
On Thursday, state's Covid monitoring committee met to take stock of the situation. "The positivity rate here is below 1% for weeks now. But we need to keep updating things as and when the situation demands," said IPGMER gastroenterology head GK Dhali, member of the committee.
Chaired by health secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam, it also discussed about the upcoming festive season. Even as the panel felt that masking and physical distancing are important, the state is unlikely to issue any such guideline now.
KMC has asked health staffers to follow Covid protocols at clinics.
(Inputs by Saikat Ray)
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