The Union Health Secretary, Rajesh Bhushan, has sent a letter to eight states to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation due to the rising positivity rate. He stated that ‘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.’ Although hospitalisation rates and deaths due to COVID-19 have remained low, states with a higher number of cases may indicate a localised spread of the infection.
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% positivity rate is UP (1), Tamil Nadu (11), Rajasthan (6), Maharashtra (8), Kerala (14), Haryana (12), and Delhi (11).
The states have been asked to increase Covid surveillance in all districts and monitor trends of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases. They have also been instructed 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.
India recorded 11,692 new Covid cases, while active cases have increased to 66,170, according to the Health Ministry data updated today. However, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj told news agency PTI that COVID-19 cases have stabilised and are likely to fall in the coming days. ‘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.’
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