New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS): Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, urging them to take steps to curb the spike in coronavirus cases.
These states are reporting an upsurge in the number of daily new cases in the recent days, and comprise 59 per cent of the total active cases in the country. About 28.61 per cent cases are in Kerala, followed by 22.79 per cent in Maharashtra, 3.99 per cent in Chhattisgarh and 3.89 per cent in West Bengal.
These states have been advised to maintain strict vigil and to take steps to keep a check on the rising cases, especially in view of the new coronavirus strain observed in certain countries, which has also been reported in a few states in India.
The Health Secretary has drawn the attention of the states to their low and declining testing rates, stating that any laxity at this crucial junction may squander the results of collective actions in containing the transmission.
They have been advised to analyze the surge at the district and sub-district levels to understand the reasons for this rise and plan adequate measures proactively to curb the same.
Aggressively implementation of the 'Test-Track-Treat" strategy adopted by the country has been strongly advised now more than ever by the Union Health Secretary.
The health authorities in the states have also been advised to proactively promote wearing of mask and other Covid appropriate behaviors even while the vaccination drive is about to begin.
It is important to ensure that there is no complacency in the collective efforts in containment and management of Covid-19, the Health Secretary has strongly reiterated.
The states have been assured of all necessary support of the Health Ministry required to manage the pandemic.
In view of the above, a high-level central team led by Dr S.K. Singh, Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has been rushed by the Central government to Kerala. The team will review the public health interventions in management of Covid-19 by the state government and support the state health authorities in these measures.