The Union Health Ministry on Thursday, 7 January, wrote to the states of Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, urging them to take necessary precautions on account of their surge in the number of COVID-19 cases. They have been advised to maintain a ‘strict vigil’ on the spike of infections.
The four states have shown a rise in the number of daily news cases in the recent days and in a press release by the government, the MoHFW has appealed to them saying “any laxity at this crucial junction may squander the results of our collective actions in containing the transmission.”
All four states have also been advised to closely analyse the rise at district and sub-district levels, understand the reason for the same and take steps to curb it.
The Ministry has urged the states implement the country’s “Test-Track-Treat” strategy, and ensure that use of face masks and physical distancing measures are followed around the states as the country prepares for a vaccination drive.
The Health Secretary has reiterated that “It is important to ensure that there is no complacency in the collective efforts in containment and management of COVID-19.”
According to the press release, the four states comprise 59 percent of the total active cases in the country.
In the past seven days, the daily average cases in Kerala, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal have been 5,023, 3,707, 1,006 and 908, respectively.
In Kerala, a top-level central team led by Dr SK Singh, Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has been employed to review the public health interventions in the management of COVID- 19 and support the state health authorities in these measures.
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