AGARTALA, April 24 - As Tripura is on course of declaring itself a COVID-19 free State, the State Government has embarked on a mission to conduct rapid antibody tests to check the containment level on the ground, sources said.
Health workers have already kickstarted rapid antibody tests at Udaipur in Gomati district and Damcherra and Satnala in North district to assess the ground situation in the aftermath of the detection of two positive cases of COVID-19.
The State Health and Family Welfare Department has already procured 3,800 kits for conducting rapid antibody tests, out of which 3,700 kits have already been distributed in all the districts. A total of 330 collection centres have been set up to execute the ambitious mission.
The sources said that Tripura has 1,900 COVID-19 test kits, and that the ICMR has promised to provide one more testing machine. The State has performed well on the prevention front after detection of the two positive cases.
While the first patient is now about to complete a 14-day quarantine period following release from hospital, the second patient also tested negative last night. He will be sent to 14-day quarantine if he comes out clear in the next test.
It effectively means that Tripura will become a COVID-19 free State and an official declaration will be made after getting a nod from the Centre.
Official figures suggest good performance in the ongoing battle against the pandemic with only 290 persons placed in quarantine now. Out of the total quarantined individuals, only 111 are under facility quarantine. Altogether 4,222 samples have been collected for tests so far and 4,006 of them have already been tested.
Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar, citing guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said that the relaxation given by the Ministry of Home Affairs would be applicable in the entire State, barring the three containment zones where the COVID-19 patients had stayed.
New activities that came under relaxation since Thursday include hardware shops, shops selling raw materials used in industrial units, charcoal and other fuel used in brick kilns, motor repair shops, salons, laundries, carpentry, pottery, electrical goods and agricultural equipment. Besides, day and domestic workers can also avail of the relaxation now.