v. Conclusion
- India faces a clear and present danger from the spreading of COVID-19.
- The central, state, and local governments need to synchronize their actions to identify and isolate potential cases as in the case of the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala.
- Key institutions must be identified as resource centers and to act as nodal points for contact tracing, testing, communications, and case management. Special focus must be on point of entry screening. The use of technology like the Chinese example, but without authoritarian measures, will greatly help in the fight against the virus.
- Further, in the long-term perspective, a well-researched pandemic/epidemic management strategy delineating the roles of different authorities and action points at various stages needs to be formulated.