Contacts of Covid-19 patients, unless identified as high-risk, don't need to be tested, the government's top medical body said today in a new advisory, reported ndtv.com..

Asymptomatic individuals in community settings, patients who stand discharged as per home isolation guidelines, also patients discharged from a Covid-19 facility and individuals undertaking inter-state domestic travel need not be tested, said the Indian Council of Medical Research or ICMR.

Those with cough, fever, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, breathlessness and other respiratory symptoms) individuals should be tested, said the body.

Also, international travelers arriving at Indian airports, seaports and ports are to be tested, it said.

No emergency procedure - like surgeries and deliveries - should be delayed for lack of a test, said the medical body.

Patients should not be referred to other facilities for lack of a testing facility, it said.

Asymptomatic patients undergoing surgical/non-surgical invasive procedures including pregnant women in or near labour who are hospitalised for delivery should not be tested unless warranted or symptoms develop, said the advisory.

Genome Sequencing is done for surveillance purposes and is not required to be undertaken for treatment purposes, said the ICMR, adding that genome sequencing is to be performed only in a subset of positive samples as per recommendations of INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Surveillance Consortium).