Chennai, Aug 8 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu health department has brought in new Covid-19 protocols for new inmates in jails, old age homes and for people getting admitted to homes for the mentally challenged.

The state health department has brought out a series of orders to standardize the prevention and management of the Covid-19 pandemic. The orders outlined the state's policy of surveillance, testing, triaging, vaccinations and management and reporting of adverse effects of vaccinations.

The orders which were issued by the State health secretary on Saturday has been passed on to all the district health authorities and doctors on Saturday and Sunday.

The health department is keen that the number of fresh cases is under control and hence this exercise of updating the Covid-19 standard protocols.

According to the new guidelines, the results of all RT-PCR tests should be declared within 24 hours of testing and communicated to the concerned person through SMS even if the results are negative.

The guidelines also provide inputs of random sampling at places where there are high-risk possibilities including marketplaces.

State health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan told IANS, "We have used the experience we gained through the past year to standardize prevention measures. Any reduction in surveillance, testing, or implementation of Covid appropriate behaviour can lead to a surge that cannot be allowed at all."