CHENNAI: Taking note of the surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, including Tamil Nadu, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPH) has advised the public to wear masks and maintain physical distancing, two important measures that symbolised the pandemic years.

In the advisory, the directorate instructed health officers to intensify disease surveillance and implement proactive measures to ensure early detection, reporting, and response to cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI).

District surveillance units were instructed to ensure consistent daily monitoring and reporting of IILI and SARI cases from all healthcare facilities. Any unusual clustering of cases must be immediately reported to the State Surveillance Unit (SSU) to enable a timely public health response and close monitoring should be maintained, and necessary follow-up actions must be carried out in coordination with field-level teams and primary health centres.

"All healthcare facilities must verify the availability of essential medical supplies, including antiviral drugs such as Oseltamivir, and the necessary diagnostic consumables for managing ILIs. Ensure sufficient bed capacity in fever wards, with contingency plans in place to accommodate any surge in patient numbers," said DPH director Dr TS Selvavinayagam.

Field staff should be mobilised to promote public health messages like use of masks, physical distancing, cough etiquette, avoid face touching, hand hygiene, prompt medical attention, hydration and rest, vaccination and awareness, stay home when unwell, and environmental hygiene, added the release.