Focus on testing, vaccination: Centre tells Delhi, 6 states amid rise in COVID-19 cases

India

oi-Prakash KL

New
Delhi,
Aug
06:
As
the
COVID-19
cases
is
on
the
rise
in
some
parts
of
the
country,
the
centre
on
Saturday
asked
Delhi
and
six
states
to
ensure
adequate
testing,
promote
Covid-appropriate
behaviour
and
increase
the
pace
of
vaccination
to
contain
the
surge.

Union
Health
Secretary
Rajesh
Bhushan
has
written
a
letter
to
Delhi,
Kerala,
Karnataka,
Maharashtra,
Odisha,
Tamil
Nadu
and
Telangana,
saying
the
upcoming
festivals
and
mass
congregations
in
different
parts
of
the
country
may
potentially
facilitate
transmission
of
infectious
diseases,
including
COVID-19.

It
is
critical
to
ensure
adequate
testing
is
undertaken
in
all
the
districts
of
the
state
while
maintaining
the
recommended
share
of
RT-PCR
and
antigen
tests.
The
state
must
also
closely
monitor
districts
reporting
higher
cases,
positivity
rates
and
clusters
to
prevent
further
spread
of
infection
and
effective
case
management,
he
stressed
in
the
letter
dated
August
5.
In
his
letter
to
Delhi,
Bhushan
said
the
national
capital
has
been
reporting
high
average
daily
new
cases
(811
cases)
for
the
past
month
with
a
high
of
2.202
new
cases
reported
on
August
5.

Delhi
has
contributed
8.2
per
cent
of
India’s
weekly
new
cases
in
the
week
ending
August
5
and
has
also
recorded
1.86
times
increase
in
average
daily
new
cases
from
802
in
the
week
ending
July
29
to
1,492
in
in
the
week
ending
August
5.
An
increase
in
the
weekly
positivity
rate
was
also
reported
in
Delhi
—
from
5.90
per
cent
in
the
week
ending
July
29
to
9.86
per
cent
in
the
week
ending
August
5.

Bhushan
said
Kerala
reported
2,347
average
cases
per
day
in
the
past
month
and
Maharashtra
2,135
cases.
He
also
cited
district-wise
spread
of
infection.
He
requested
states
to
ensure
effective
compliance
of
the
revised
surveillance
strategy
for
COVID-19
which
has
been
shared
by
the
Union
Ministry
of
Health
and
Family
Welfare.
“In
view
of
some
changes
in
symptoms
and
clinical
manifestation
of
the
disease,
it
is
crucial
to
monitor
and
report
district-wise
influenza-like
illness
(ILI)
and
SARI
cases
in
all
health
facilities
as
per
the
guidelines,
on
a
regular
basis
for
detecting
early
warning
signals
of
the
spread
of
infection.

This
will
enable
us
to
take
pre-emptive
action
if
required,
in
any
areas
of
concern,”
he
said.
Stressing
genome
sequencing
of
prescribed
samples
of
international
passengers
as
well
as
collection
of
samples
from
sentinel
sites
and
local
cluster
of
new
COVID-19
cases
is
equally
important,
Bhushan
said
such
samples
must
be
sent
promptly
by
the
states
and
union
territories
to
the
designated
lab
of
INSACOG
network
for
genome
sequencing.

“Renewed
attention
needs
to
be
paid
for
ensuring
of
Covid-appropriate
behaviour
in
crowded
places
like
markets,
inter-state
bus
stands,
schools,
colleges,
railway
stations,
etc,”
he
said.
“States
should
aim
to
increase
the
pace
of
vaccination
for
all
eligible
population
and
accelerate
the
administration
of
free
precaution
doses
for
18-plus
eligible
population
at
all
Government
Covid
Vaccination
Centres
(CVCs)
under
the
‘COVID
Vaccination
Amrit
Mahotsav’ till
September
30,”
he
stated.
States
were
advised
to
diligently
follow
the
five-fold
strategy
of
test-track-treat
vaccinate
and
adherence
to
Covid-appropriate
behaviour
within
the
community.