COVID-19: India is in 'limited' community transmission phase, says Health Ministry

Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday said that India is in "local transmission and limited community transmission" phase of COVID-19.

New Delhi [India], Mar 30 : Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday said that India is in "local transmission and limited community transmission" phase of COVID-19.

"This SOP [Standard Operating Procedure] is applicable to the current phase of COVID-19 pandemic in India (local transmission and limited community transmission), wherein as per the plan of action, all suspect cases are admitted to isolation facilities," a statement from the ministry said.

India has reported 1,071 cases and 29 deaths due to coronavirus till Monday morning.

The procedures were meant as a guide to be used for training ambulance drivers and technicians in transporting COVID-19 patients.

They were also aimed at supporting programme officers in "monitoring functionality and infection prevention protocols of the ambulances."

On Sunday, the India Council of Medical Research (ICMR) found that at least 10 per cent people have tested positive for COVID-19 due to severe acute respiratory illness (SARI), and also said that there is no community transmission of the virus so far.R Gangakhedkar, a scientist at ICMR, told that out of 110 such people, who were tested due to SARI hospitalisation, about 11 of them have tested positive for novel coronavirus.

On March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease.

( With inputs from ANI )