KOLKATA: With daily Covid infected cases being remained around 150 in the state and daily fatality below 5 on an average, the Bengal government issued new guidelines stating that patients coming to the hospitals for various treatment will no longer require to undergo a Covid test unless they complain of Covid symptoms.
Except for some specific disciplines, patients in most of the departments of the hospitals can avail treatment and they no longer need to take a Covid test.
Those, who have Covid symptoms, will only undergo such tests. In case of nose and throat related treatment or surgery, the patients will have to take a Covid test.
The fresh guideline issued by the state Health department said no hospital could transfer a patient on the pretext of being unable to perform Covid tests. Patients undergoing treatment under any discipline of a hospital can eventually test positive for Covid.
In such cases the hospital will have to keep the patient at the isolation ward and continue treatment.The guideline also stated that the doctors and health workers would no longer need to wear PPE kits in non-Covid wards.
They can perform duties with the faces covered with N95 masks, face shields and gloves in case of providing health services in all the disciplines other than Covid wards.
Doctors or health workers, who are performing their duties in Covid wards, will have to wear PPE kits.
ENT specialists can wear PPE kits as per their requirements. The doctors and health workers will however have to wear masks.
"The risk of transmission of Covid has gone down manifold. The strict restrictions imposed by the government and their implementation has helped to control the daily cases," said a health official.
It may be mentioned here that Bengal has been consistently witnessing daily cases around 150.
The number had gone down below 100 a couple of days ago. The number of daily deaths has also gone down below 10. On Wednesday, no Covid death was reported in Bengal. The positivity rate in Bengal consistently remains below 1 percent for over two weeks.