Covid-19 testing begins again at Srinagar airport

Srinagar, Dec 23: The Directorate of Health Services Kashmir on Friday deputed a medical team to Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport Srinagar to test passengers as part of precautionary measures as India records cases of Omicron BF.7 variant.
Spokesperson, Directorate of Health Services Kashmir, Dr Mir Mushtaq said the directorate has deputed a medical team to the Srinagar airport to test the suspected cases.
“The team has been directed to do the testing and would be supervised by CMO Srinagar. They have also been asked to keep a close vigil if there is any suspected case when the passengers arrive from different,” he said.
Earlier, a team was already stationed at the airport however the testing was stopped when the Covid-19 cases declined earlier this year.
The directorate is on preparedness mode and all the mechanisms are being put in place like testing, isolation, patient care facilities across hospitals in the valley.
However, the director appealed people that there is nothing to panic at this point of time and department is ready and prepared to face any eventuality.
“We will take all necessary measures that need to be done to tackle if the new variants of Covid-19 spread here as have been reported in some parts of the country,” he said.
Mushtaq said it is important that people should follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that were followed previously to help contain the further spread of the virus by using protective gears like masks and maintaining social distancing.
The decision to re-introduce the Covid-19 testing-related measures at the airport comes as a preventive measure being taken up as coronavirus cases surge globally, especially in China, United States, South Korea, Brazil and Japan.
He appealed passengers coming from different parts of world not to hide their travel history and get tested at the airport as a precautionary measure to contain the virus spread.
The current increase in Covid-19 infections in China is being driven by a novel sub-variant of the extremely infectious Omicron variant of coronavirus.