2.39 crore COVID tests conducted in India in August: Minister of State for Health
New Delhi: India conducted 2.39 crore COVID-19 tests in August, of which 1.24 crore were done using rapid antigen kits, the government said on Sunday.
Till September 18, a total of 6,17,33,533 tests were conducted across the country, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey said in the Rajya Sabha.
He said 2,39,66,859 tests were conducted in August, 1,05, 32,288 in July, 49,93,422 in June, 29,37,284 in May, 8,64,517 in April and 33,330 in March.
"In March, only RT-PCR testing centres were available. Later, cartridge-based tests were approved by ICMR like Truenat, CBNAAT, Abbott and Roche. In the month of June, rapid antigen kits were approved by ICMR for testing," the minister said in a written reply.
"The number of COVID-19 tests conducted in August using rapid antigen kits is 1,24,17,396," Choubey said.
The Ministry of Health has followed a graded approach and is advising states to expand COVID-19 dedicated hospital infrastructure. The states are also advised to plan for the requisite number of isolation, oxygen supported and ICU beds based on the prevalent and expected case growth rate, he said.
As on September 18, 15,446 COVID treatment facilities with 13,32,225 dedicated isolation beds without oxygen support have been created.
Besides, 2,32,665 oxygen supported isolation beds and 64,285 ICU beds, including 32,609 ventilator beds, were created, Choubey replied to another question.
Guidelines on clinical management of COVID-19 have been issued and are being updated regularly. States are being supported in terms of supply of logistics, the minister said.
So far, 1.41 crore of PPE Kits, 3.44 crore N-95 masks, 10.84 crore tablets of hydroxychloroquine, 30,796 ventilators and 1,02,400 oxygen cylinders have been supplied to states, union territories and central government hospitals.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
