Examine situation at micro level, Centre to six states reporting rising Covid cases
Darpan News Desk IANS, 16 Mar, 2023 10:18 AM
New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) The Union Health Ministry on Thursday wrote to six states - Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, which have reported significant rise in the Covid cases in last week - to examine the Covid 19 situation at the micro level.
"India has observed a significant decline in the number of Covid-19 cases during past few months. However, since past few weeks, a rise in cases has been noted specifically in certain parts of the country with a total of 2,082 cases reported in the week ending March 8, 2023 which rose to 3,264 cases in week ending March 15," Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in the letter to the states.
He said that 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 & contain the infection, without losing the gains made so far in the fight against the pandemic.
The Health Ministry has advised that state should examine the situation of Covid-19 at micro level (district & 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 the Ministry.
The five-fold strategy, i.e., Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination should be followed with continued focus on adequate & proactive testing as per guidelines, reads the letter. The states have been asked to monitor new and emerging clusters of new Covid-19 cases and also Influenza-like illness (ILI) & SARI cases in all health facilities.
"It is essential that the state must maintain a strict watch and take pre-emptive action if required in any areas of concern to control emerging spread of infection," Bhushan said in the letter.
The Director-General of WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that it is an important development in support of reaching the 40 per cent vaccination target in all countries by the end of this year.
The charge made by the BJP functionary comes a day after Kejriwal during his visit to poll-bound Goa on Tuesday, announced 80 per cent reservation in private sector jobs, Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 doles for the unemployed youth and families who have lost employment due to Covid respectively as well as setting up of a Skill university in the state.
Even as he reiterated his intention to counter any move to make Sidhu the state's Chief Minister face, Amarinder Singh said he will pit a strong candidate against him in the 2022 Assembly polls to ensure his defeat.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Goa have been engaged in a war of words and pre-poll announcements over the last few months ahead of the state Assembly polls, which are due in the coastal state in early 2022.
The stolen bicycles recovered were of nearly Rs 4 lakh. Deputy Superintendent of Police Charanjit Singh Virk said accused Neemkanta, who lives in suburban Kansal with his wife and son, used to visit parks in the early morning to steal the cycles.
"Pharmaceutical industry in Goa produces 12 per cent of the total medicine manufactured in India. Around 70 per cent of the product is exported to the most developed countries in the world," Sawant told a government function in Panaji organised to promote industrial trade in the state.
