RAT Made Mandatory for Incoming Passengers
Port Blair, April 16: The A&N Administration has taken many concrete steps to fight against COVID-19 pandemic in A&N Islands. To keep check on the increase in the number of cases, passengers/ tourists arriving from mainland to A&N Islands are being subject to mandatory Rapid Antigen Test on arrival at Port Blair itself so as to stop the chain of transmission. If in case any passenger is found positive, arrangements have been made to quarantine such passengers at Institutional Quarantine Centres set up by the Administration at different locations as per Standard Operating procedures in Govt. facilities or will have the option to stay in identified hotels on payment basis. Asymptomatic persons will be kept at institutional quarantine set up at Govt. institutions or in private institutions on payment basis. The Administration has sufficient ventilator beds with oxygen to cater to patients requiring oxygen and needs to be intubated.
A total of 1037 isolation beds for persons tested positive have been set up in different health institutions and other Govt. institutions as COVID Care Centres in the entire A&N Islands. Along with this, a number of hotels with more than 200 beds have been identified for institutional isolation.
Apart from this, the Administration has issued directions for strict implementation COVID Appropriate Behaviours viz. wearing face mask, maintain social distancing, frequent hand washing etc. Awareness is being created on all social media platforms to sensitize citizens about strict adherence to such directions besides vaccination drive is being continued for eligible beneficiaries so as to cover maximum population. Time to time media briefings on COVID are being done to have wider publicity and its outreach.
To ensure regular conveyance facility for the general public, stage carriage buses have been directed to carry only the seating passengers at anytime inside the buses. No standing passengers shall be allowed.
To ensure hygienic environment, regular sanitization of heath institutions, hospital wards, quarantine centres are being carried out by dedicated staff. The PBMC is also conducting regular sanitization of crowded market places and other areas.