The Centre on Sunday issued new coronavirus-related guidelines for peri-urban, rural and tribal areas, taking note of the “gradual ingress” of the infection in these regions.

The health ministry said that every village should undertake active surveillance of influenza-like illness or severe acute respiratory infection periodically by Accredited Social Health Activist, or ASHA workers. Community health officers and auxiliary nurses at public health centres should be trained to perform Rapid Antigen Testing for Covid-19 infection, the ministry said.

Depending on the intensity of the surge and the number of cases in villages, contact tracing must be done as far as possible based on the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme’s guidelines, the release stated.

The new guidelines came two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over the virus spreading fast in rural India. 

The Centre on Sunday issued new coronavirus-related guidelines for peri-urban, rural and tribal areas, taking note of the “gradual ingress” of the infection in these regions.

The health ministry said that every village should undertake active surveillance of influenza-like illness or severe acute respiratory infection periodically by Accredited Social Health Activist, or ASHA workers. Community health officers and auxiliary nurses at public health centres should be trained to perform Rapid Antigen Testing for Covid-19 infection, the ministry said.

Depending on the intensity of the surge and the number of cases in villages, contact tracing must be done as far as possible based on the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme’s guidelines, the release stated.

The new guidelines came two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over the virus spreading fast in rural India.