The Centre is worried over the surge in Covid-19 cases in 6 states as the number of fresh daily infections surged to a 4-month high of 700, taking the total number of patients to 4,623, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday morning.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Wednesday wrote to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka asking them to step up testing, treating, tracking, and vaccination to control the spread of Covid-19 cases.
“There are few states which are reporting higher number of cases indicating possible localised spread of infection and there is a need to follow a risk assessment-based approach to prevent and contain the infection, without losing the gains made so far in the fight against the pandemic,” the letter said.
The letter advised states to examine the situation of Covid at micro level (district and sub-districts), and maintain focus on implementation of necessary measures for prompt and effective management of Covid-19, “duly ensuring effective compliance with various advisories issued by this ministry”.
This is the second letter sent to the states after the first on Saturday which had highlighted the gradual increase in Covid test positivity rates in some states.
Scientists are of the view that it is the milder omicron version of coronavirus and its sub-lineages that are currently circulating in India. The fact that most Indians have now been vaccinated is also helping to slow the spread of the disease.
According to the health ministry’s website, 220.65 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said that the perception of people living abroad…
As the country continues to battle a crippling economy, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed…
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Riyadh on Monday as part of his…
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal has stated that India has always been…
The status of educational infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has declined in the past few years.…
Amid the campus demonstrations in the US, anti-Israeli protesters at Harvard University raised the Palestinian…