Keep strict watch, take pre-emptive steps: Centre writes to 5 states as Covid-19 cases rise

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, April 09, 2022: The union health secretary, Rajesh Bhushan, has written to five states urging them to maintain strict watch and take pre-emptive action to control any emerging spread of the Covid-19 infection. Kerala, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana and Mizoram have been asked to be alert as cases begin to show an upward trend amid the detection of a new variant XE, considered to be 10 times more transmissible than Omicron, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

 

“It is essential that the state must maintain a strict watch and take pre-emptive action if required in any areas of concern to control any emerging spread of infection. Testing & surveillance still remain important to track the virus, its spread & evolution,” Bhushan said in the letter.

The note from the Centre pointed out that any “laxity may nullify the gains in pandemic management so far” and pledged to provide the “requisite support to the states in this ongoing and collective effort”.

The five states have also been “advised to continue monitoring the spread of infection and undertake required steps for prompt and effective management of Covid-19”.
“The five-fold strategy, i.e., Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination and Adherence to Covid Appropriate Behaviour should be followed with continued focus on monitoring clusters of new Covid-19 cases and required containment efforts for curbing the spread of infection, adequate testing as per guidelines and undertake required steps in areas reporting high case positivity, monitoring of Influenza-like illness (ILI) and SARI cases in all health facilities on a regular basis for detecting early warning signals of the spread of infection, genomic sequencing for prescribed samples of international passengers, collection of samples from sentinel sites (identified health facilities), and local clusters of cases, and vaccination of all eligible people,” it read.Pointing out that the country has been registering a “sustained and significant decline in the number of Covid-19 cases has been observed in India over the past 2 months”, the letter warned that a “few states are reporting a higher contribution to India’s daily new cases”.

“Given that the states/Union Territories have been undertaking various measures to reopen economic and social activities, there is a need for continuous follow up of a risk assessment-based approach for management of Covid-19,” it cautioned.

According to the letter, Kerala has reported 2,321 new cases in the last week (ending April 8), accounting to 31.8 per cent of India’s new cases; Delhi has reported an increase in weekly new cases from 724 new cases in the week ending April 1 to 826 new cases in the last week (ending April 8), accounting to 11.33% of India’s new cases; Haryana has reported an increase in weekly new cases from 367 new cases in the week ending April 1 to 416 new cases in the last week (ending April 8), accounting to 5.70 per cent of the country’s new cases; Maharashtra has reported 794 new cases in the last week (ending April 8), accounting for 10.9 per cent of new cases; Mizoram has reported 814 new cases in the last week (ending April 8), accounting to 11.16 per cent of India’s new cases.

Courtesy: India Today