NEW DELHI: Following the increase in new daily cases of Covid-19 in some states, the center on Wednesday assigned high-level multidisciplinary teams to visit ten states that have witnessed an increase in the number of infections.
The central teams will visit Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the territory of the Union of Jammu and Kashmir to determine the reason for the rise in cases.
Teams will support states in public health measures for a targeted response and management of Covid, the health ministry said.
The Center has advised states and UTs to conduct a periodic review of the emerging situation with interested district officials to ensure that the gains made so far in the management of Covid are not lost.
The center has also written in Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and J&K. “States should focus on taking aggressive measures to break the transmission chain and ensure that RT-PCR tests are amplified to eliminate hitherto undetected cases from the population,” said Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan in the letter.
These states / UTs have been advised to increase testing in a focused manner in affected districts and to ensure that all symptomatic negatives from antigen testing are mandatorily tested by RT-PCR testing. Those who test positive should be isolated or hospitalized quickly, all their close contacts should be tracked and also tested without delay, Bhushan said.
“Any laxity in applying strict measures to curb the spread, especially in view of the new strains of the virus observed in certain countries, could aggravate the situation,” he added.