The Health and Family Welfare Department, Tamil Nadu (“Department”) has, in an Order dated 31st August, 2020 issued the Comprehensive Guidelines for COVID-19 in the State that consolidates previous guidelines on testing and quarantine and exemption of passengers travelling from other Districts/States/Countries to Tamil Nadu.
The Comprehensive Guidelines will be effective from 1st September, 2020.
Areas covered by the Comprehensive Guidelines –
1. Testing Strategies Guidelines to be implemented for –
a. Persons coming from other States/Union Territory by air, railway or road
b. Persons coming from other countries by air or ship
2. Guidelines for home isolation of individuals with very mild / mild / pre-symptomatic COVID positive case
3. Strategies for demarcation of Containment Zones for the prevention and control of corona virus
4. Guidelines for categorisation of patients as mild cases / mild-moderate cases / severe cases & high risk cases
5. Discharge Policy for Covid-19 patients (diagram in attachment)
Containment Zone –
1. Containment zone is formed for areas where cluster of cases or cluster of cases emerge and cluster is defined as area where more than 3 and above index cases are reported or 3 families and more families are affected by COVID-19.
i. If there are more than 3 / Index case or 3 households affected
a)in case of village, entire village (affected habitation) is demarcated as containment zone
b)In Corporation and Municipality affected street or part of the street is demarcated as containment zone depending in ground situation
c)In the case of multi storey building the entire affected multi storey building or its part.
ii. In case of slums where it is highly crowded, wherein maintaining social distance is a challenge, families of positive cases shall be put in institutional quarantine
2. In cases of up to 3 index cases or only up to three households having positive cases such of those affected households and their neighbours will be put in home quarantine.
3. The containment operations will be over in 14 days, if no active cases appear in the containment zone during the period from the date of last confirmation of positive case.
Source: Health and Family Welfare Department, Tamil Nadu
