Haryana Health and Family Welfare Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday said that although there are presently no cases of COVID-19 in the state, RT-PCR tests will be conducted for cases of ILI and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) across the state.

Vij said this while attending the meeting regarding measures in response to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases and the detection of the JN.1 variant, chaired by Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya.

He emphasized the necessity for mandatory RT-PCR tests for ILI and SARI cases, proposing that COVID-19 should be declared a notifiable disease. This would require private hospitals to inform the Chief Medical Officer and government hospitals of any cases.

He highlighted the importance of monitoring and reporting diseases like influenza (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) to identify the initial trend of rising cases. A mock drill has been conducted in Haryana, and all necessary preparations have been completed. "Haryana has 238 PSA plants in working condition. This disease is resurfacing similarly to before, so it should be taken seriously. We have successfully tackled this disease before and are fully prepared."

Interacting with the media persons, Vij said, "Today, there was a video conference with the Union Health Minister. We are fully compliant with the guidelines and have had a meeting for Haryana. A mock drill has been conducted where equipment has been checked, and we are fully prepared," he added.