The health department authority of East Singhbhum district on Monday issued instructions for restarting sample test drive for Covid-19.

The instructions for resuming the sample test for Covid-19 came because of a possible fourth wave.

Though neither the Central government nor the state government has sent any guidelines, the East Singhbhum district health department functionary has issued the instructions on their own.

"The exercise for sample test for Covid-19 had come to an end as cases of the infected persons had subsided immensely. But we have decided to resume the sample test once again. All the in-charges of the government-run health hubs to swing into action across the district," said district civil surgeon, J Manjhi while talking to The Telegraph Online.

The civil surgeon pointed out they have asked the health hub functionaries to carry out 1,500 sample tests from Tuesday.

The tests were being carried out on regular basis till mid-February but stopped after the pandemic had subsided considerably here.

Apart from the resumption of the sample test, the district administration has also started focussing on Covid vaccination for the 12-14 years age group and on a drive for wearing masks.

Dhalbhum sub-divisional officer, Sandeep Meena informed that the vaccination for the 12-14 age group, which had gone slow a couple of months ago due to the removal of outsourced health workers, has resumed.

"We have started giving vaccines to the children at schools. On Saturday, we started the vaccination in Loyola School, and on Monday, we started it in Chinmaya Vidhyalay," said Meena while talking to The Telegraph Online.

The SDO stated that they want to restart the drive for wearing masks but are finding it difficult to do so as most of the officials are occupied with the Panchayat elections duty.

"Though there is staff crunch to resume the mask-wearing drive, in view of the probable fourth wave of the pandemic here in the steel city, we will try to carry out the drive intermittently," said Meena.