With Covid cases on the rise, notably in six states, the Centre has written to them, advising them to focus on controlling the unexpected surge in viral infection. In a letter sent to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka on Wednesday, the Union Health Secretary urged them to place more emphasis on testing, treating, tracking, and immunisation.
There is a need to follow a risk assessment-based approach to prevent & contain the infection, without losing the gains made so far in the fight against the pandemic, the letter said. “There are few states that are reporting higher numbers of cases indicating possible localised spread of infection,” it said.
Sharp Weekly Spike
After a lapse of more than four months, more than 700 Covid instances were reported in a single day, bringing the total number of active cases to 4,623, according to data updated on Thursday morning by the Union Health Ministry. On November 12 of the previous year, there were 734 cases reported in the nation.
In order to prevent the spread of infection, the state must keep a close eye on any areas of concern and take preventive measures as needed, according to the letter.
A Word Of Caution
The letter asked states to examine the situation of Covid at micro level (district and sub-districts), and keep attention on adoption of necessary steps for prompt and effective management of Covid-19, “duly ensuring effective compliance with various directives given by this ministry”.
The progressive increase in Covid test positivity rates in various states was also noted in a letter from the health secretary, Rajesh Bhushan, to the states and union territories on Saturday. He had described it as a worrying matter that requires immediate attention.
According to the health ministry website, there are currently 0.01 percent of active cases out of all infections, and the national Covid recovery rate is 98.80 percent.
4,41,57,297 persons have recovered from the illness, while the case fatality rate has been reported at 1.19 percent. As part of the statewide Covid immunisation campaign, 220.64 crore doses of the vaccine have already been given out in the nation.