In view of the emergence of a new variant strain of COVID-19 from United Kingdom, all persons– both Indians and foreign nationals who reached Nagaland after December 20 have been asked to report to respective District Task Forces (DTF) on COVID-19 for compulsory testing.
In a circular issued in this regard, Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) principal director Dr Vizolie Z Suokhrie also asked those arriving after the issue of the circular to self declare at the point of entry, inform the DTF and self-isolate for necessary standard testing protocols.
Further, as per the directives of National Task Force (NTF) on COVID-19 and in the light of the emergence of the new variant strain of virus, the principal director announced a slew of strategies to be put into place with immediate effect to detect and contain the mutant virus.
He ordered that IDSP State Surveillance Units (SSUs) and District Surveillance Units (DSUs) should track all passengers who had arrived from UK after December 20 and test them as per ICMR guidelines.
Vizolie directed that samples of all positive cases, if found, should be sent for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), even as enhanced contact tracing of positive cases should be undertaken and all these contacts put in facility quarantine.
Ordering that positive cases should be discharged only after ensuring that two samples tested negative after 14 days, he said 5% of all positive cases from the State would be sent for WGS.