The centre has asked eight states to tighten Covid monitoring
The centre has asked eight states to keep a close watch on the COVID-19 situation amid rising positivity rate, or infections per 100 tests.
"The pandemic is still not over, and we must remain cautious against laxity at any level, which may nullify the gains made in pandemic management so far," Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in a letter to the eight states.
Mr Bhushan said while hospitalisation rate and deaths due to Covid have remained low, states and districts reporting higher number of cases may indicate a possible localised spread of infection.
"This has necessitated a closer look at these states and districts (high daily cases and/or high test positivity rates) and the need to institute requisite public health measures to control and contain such surges in the initial stages," Mr Bhushan said in the letter.
The eight states that received the letter are Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Haryana and Delhi.
The number of districts in these states with over 10 per cent positivity rate is UP (1), Tamil Nadu (11), Rajasthan (6), Maharashtra (8), Kerala (14), Haryana (12) and Delhi (11).
The centre asked the states to strengthen Covid surveillance in all districts and monitor trends of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases.
The states have been told to increase the number of positive samples sent for whole genome sequencing through the INSACOG network of laboratories, especially from any new clusters of cases detected in the community. The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) is a consortium of 54 laboratories to monitor the genomic variations in the coronavirus.
India recorded 11,692 new Covid cases, while active cases have increased to 66,170, according to the Health Ministry data updated today.
In the national capital, Covid cases have stabilised and are likely to fall in the coming days, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj told news agency PTI.
"Covid cases have sort of stabilised. Recently, it was being said that the cases were showing an upward trend. Now, it is likely to taper down in the coming days," he said. "In most of these cases, patients had serious illnesses for a long time and Covid was incidental. But any death is unfortunate, and it should not happen," he added.