<p>In a controversial move, the Karnataka state government issued a notification on Saturday, asking Covid-19-testing labs not to inform positive patients of their test results immediately.</p>.<p>Labs have instead been asked to send details to respective district administration or local bodies, which are then entrusted to inform patients.</p>.<p>While the notification was signed by the Director of the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Omprakash Patil, it is said to be the brainchild of the city’s new Covid-19 Czar, R Ashoka, Revenue Minister, according to a reliable source.</p>.<p>The notification prompted outrage among some public health experts. Activist Tara Krishnaswamy described the move as disconcerting. “There is no valid reason for the government to hold back on disclosing the status of a test to a Covid-19 positive individual, especially as it might imperil that person’s life,” she told DH.</p>.<p>An expert, who did not want to be named, added that the notification was counterproductive to efforts being made to rein in the outbreak. “This notification makes no sense. If you don’t inform Covid-19 positive persons that they are indeed covid-positive, they will spend the next few hours unwittingly infecting perhaps as many as 20 additional people,” the expert said.</p>.<p>The notification, however, blames huge sample turnout throughout the state. It adds that: “maintaining the confidentiality of the result status is also crucial. Therefore, exercising power under Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 (Central Act 3 of 1897) and also in view of public interest, the following notification is made.”</p>.<p>It goes on to state that: “The Covid Positive result status should not be conveyed to the individual by the authorities of the government or private laboratories by any means. All government or private laboratories should upload the details of Covid positive and negative cases in the ICMR Portal daily. The details of the positive results should be submitted to the concerned District Surveillance Officers, Covid Surveillance officer, BBMP, Bengaluru and State Surveillance Unit, Bengaluru.”</p>
<p>In a controversial move, the Karnataka state government issued a notification on Saturday, asking Covid-19-testing labs not to inform positive patients of their test results immediately.</p>.<p>Labs have instead been asked to send details to respective district administration or local bodies, which are then entrusted to inform patients.</p>.<p>While the notification was signed by the Director of the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Omprakash Patil, it is said to be the brainchild of the city’s new Covid-19 Czar, R Ashoka, Revenue Minister, according to a reliable source.</p>.<p>The notification prompted outrage among some public health experts. Activist Tara Krishnaswamy described the move as disconcerting. “There is no valid reason for the government to hold back on disclosing the status of a test to a Covid-19 positive individual, especially as it might imperil that person’s life,” she told DH.</p>.<p>An expert, who did not want to be named, added that the notification was counterproductive to efforts being made to rein in the outbreak. “This notification makes no sense. If you don’t inform Covid-19 positive persons that they are indeed covid-positive, they will spend the next few hours unwittingly infecting perhaps as many as 20 additional people,” the expert said.</p>.<p>The notification, however, blames huge sample turnout throughout the state. It adds that: “maintaining the confidentiality of the result status is also crucial. Therefore, exercising power under Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 (Central Act 3 of 1897) and also in view of public interest, the following notification is made.”</p>.<p>It goes on to state that: “The Covid Positive result status should not be conveyed to the individual by the authorities of the government or private laboratories by any means. All government or private laboratories should upload the details of Covid positive and negative cases in the ICMR Portal daily. The details of the positive results should be submitted to the concerned District Surveillance Officers, Covid Surveillance officer, BBMP, Bengaluru and State Surveillance Unit, Bengaluru.”</p>
