Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Friday told the Lok Sabha that there is no community transmission of COVID-19 coronavirus so far in the country and said that a defined protocol exists about who needs to go for a test.

He also asserted that the Government is trying to use “good information” in the best manner to deal with the situation.

Answering during the Question Hour in Lok Sabha, the minister said the scientists in the country were doing their own research about Coronavirus and were also in touch with their counterparts in other countries. “There is a very defined protocol about who needs to be tested,” the minister said.

“We are in touch with everything going on the research front,” Harsh Vardhan added.

Measures have been taken for detailed tracing of contacts and the ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) is conducting tests, he said.

He said those with symptoms and travel history need to go for tests and the ministry was also doing a detailed contact tracing. He said the infection was traveling from one person to another and “has not gone to the community”.

Noting that the government is in regular contact with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the minister said that as per information available, “I don’t think there is any need for apprehensions“.

The response was to a query by Congress leader Manish Tewari on whether the government would be talking to WHO in order to look into the origin of the Coronavirus.

The member also wanted to know whether the Coronavirus could be a result of certain scientific experiments that went astray.

“We are in touch with scientists all over the world… ICMR conducting research,” he added.

On some members wanting to know about facilities for tests of Coronavirus, the Minister said whatever is being done now is with “the perfect scientific advice”.

The assertion comes as the ICMR on Friday confirmed 206 positive cases of Coronavirus in the country. India has till today reported 5 deaths, the latest being an Italian tourist, who had reportedly been cured of the COVID-19, died of heart attack at hospital in Jaipur.

The rise in the number of confirmed cases comes even as the Government imposed a near-virtual lockdown, banning public gatherings, stopping international flights from Sunday and shutting down offices and schools.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday said there is no evidence of community transmission of the disease in India.

To rule out concerns over community transmission, which is stage 3 of COVID-19, the top medical body tested 826 samples collected randomly, of which none has returned positive.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director-General Balram Bhargava also said that random sampling study of community transmission of about 820 samples from 50 sites were conducted, all of which came back negative for Coronavirus.

This came as the Government was faced with questions about low testing amid a spurt in the number of Coronavirus cases over the past few days.

However, the Central government has rejected reports that it was suppressing the actual number saying all the protocols were followed and that the data shared was “100 per cent transparent”.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued directives for conducting more and more tests in the wake of asymptomatic patients infecting the healthy population.

However, the ICMR has said the directive was country-specific and that it is not applicable for a nation like India. He said India is not yet in stage 3 of COVID-19, which is community transmission.

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha on Friday witnessed heated exchanges between Treasury and Opposition benches over claims by a Congress leader that essential commodities are fast disappearing from markets after the prime minister’s address to the nation.

Soon after the Question Hour, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said while his party is with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in efforts to combat Coronavirus, after his address to the nation, “the markets are on fire”.

He alleged that prices of commodities, including food items have gone up and essential items are fast disappearing from market shelves. “Masks are not available … hoarders are stocking up things,” he said amid protests by Treasury benches.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said the government has taken effective steps to deal with the outbreak.