COVID-19: Daman-Diu and Dadra-Nagar Haveli script a mini-success story

Daman and Diu/Dadra and Nagar Haveli [India], June 16 : While the whole country is battling the COVID-19 pandemic, the tiny Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli have scripted their own mini-success story in averting the havoc that the infection could have wreaked in the region.
The administration has been able to keep the spread of disease in check and, as of Tuesday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in both the UTs combined stood at just 36, including five patients who have been cured and discharged.
This comes despite the fact that both Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli have a combined population of approximately 8 lakh and are located between the severely affected states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. The two UTs could have been impacted drastically by the disease, owing to their popularity as tourist destinations.
Apart from this, they are heavily industrialized, and a large proportion of its workforce comes from the neighbouring and also far-flung states such as Bihar and Jharkhand, among others.
Testing became functional in the UTs on April 6, following which 23,023 samples have been tested so far.
The authorities swung into action by closing all educational institutions on March 19 as soon as the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, and on March 23 placed various restrictive measures, including prohibition of interstate and intra-state transport services. All shops and commercial establishments were also closed except for essential services.
Following this they enforced the Centre imposed lockdown strictly, door-to-door survey and screening was planned and 400 teams comprising of personnel from Health and Education Department were sent to the field to conduct thorough health screenings.
Food helplines were activated and daily around 6,000 meals were provided, apart from this, dry ration kits were also distributed to people in distress.
The administration adopted the 4S strategy of sanitization and disinfection, screening and surveillance, social distancing, and strengthening of hospitals.
It also identified the manufacturers of sanitizers, PPE kits and other essential medicines so that the required supply of these essential items was met locally as well as at the national level.
Currently, the UTs have the capacity to manufacture 30,000 PPE kits, 30,000 N - 95 masks and 1 lakh 3 ply and other masks every day.
They are also a manufacturing hub for medicines in the country, and the industry has manufactured and exported around 10 crore tablets of Hydroxychloroquine during the period of April 1, and June 13, 2020.
Recently, the administration has also granted permission to manufacture Remdesivir injections (50,000 vials per day) to a pharmaceutical company in Daman.
In phase three of the lockdown, the administration ensured the safe return of approximately 40,000 workers from other states to their homes in diffreent states through 21 Shramik Special trains.
The administration is ensuring that all guidelines and precautions laid down by the Centre for the Unlock 1 phase are being followed strictly.
It has also ramped up quarantine facilities and modeled its policy to ensure early testing, early detection, and better clinical outcomes.