The full text is as follows :

“Good evening,

As of 6 PM today, a total of 404 samples have been sent for testing from the State and results of 345 samples have been received till now and all are negative. The results of 59 samples are awaited.

I would like to inform that a consignment of 3840 Test Units of Rapid Diagnostic kits for COVID-19 issued by the Government of India has reached the State today. As per ICMR, the gold standard of COVID-19 test is RT-PCR and Rapid test is only a supplementary test for assessing prevalence of the disease within specific parameter. The ICMR advisory on use of the rapid test is for hotspot areas and surveillance tool for epidemiological purposes.

There has been recent reports of some doctors and health workers raising objections about the quality of PPEs and other medical accessories being issued to them by the Health Department. It has now been decided that the doctors and health workers raising apprehensions about the quality of PPEs and medial accessories will submit reasons specifying the quality parameters which they feel are not as per the standards recommended in writing to the concerned Controlling Officers; and the Health Department will issue new PPEs and other medical accessories as replacement of all such purported inferior quality materials.

Further the respective Deputy Commissioners will collect all such returned PPEs and medical items and keep under their safe custody until further orders.

I conclude by requesting your continued cooperation to all the lockdown measures and for always maintaining social distancing when coming out of homes for buying food items and other essential commodities.

                                                    Thank You”

( DIPR)