Covid review meet: Centre urges states, UTs to step up surveillance, testing, vaccination
With an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases and positivity rate in nine states, the Centre has asked all states and union territories to increase the number of tests (preferably more accurate RT-PCR), strictly monitor patients in home isolation, implement Covid-19 appropriate behaviour, and accelerate administration of vaccine now that the precaution dose has been made free for all adults.
The Centre pointed out poor surveillance, poor testing and below average vaccination in several states at a review meeting chaired by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Wednesday. NITI Aayog (member) Dr VK Paul and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS-New Delhi) Director Dr Randeep Guleria also attended the high-level meeting.
The country recorded 20,557 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, with the positivity rate standing at 4.13% and 1.45 lakh active cases.
All states and union territories have also been asked to send samples of international travellers and any large cluster for genome sequencing. They have been also asked to send daily district-wise report on cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Illnesses (SARI) and Influenza-like Illnesses (ILI).
Bhushan has also asked them to increase awareness about reporting cases that test positive on the home-based rapid antigen kits. The home-based kits started being widely used across India since the third wave this January, after which the number of tests being conducted in many places saw a decline.
At the meeting, it was pointed out that the average tests per million population is below the national average in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh. The proportion of the more accurate RT-PCR test was below the national average in Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and West Bengal. These states were asked to urgently address the declining trend of RT-PCR tests and improve their average daily tests per million.
The states and union territories were asked to ensure strict surveillance in all districts where the positivity rate was over 10% in the last week.
The daily cases or positivity rate is on the rise in 115 districts across nine states — Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh.
Expressing concern, NITI Aayog (member) Dr VK Paul said, “We need to be mindful that Covid has not gone. Looking at the global scenario, we need to be at high alert. There is poor surveillance, poor testing and below average vaccination in many states undergoing the present surge.”
The AIIMS-New Delhi Director Dr Randeep Guleria, who was also a part of the meeting, asked the states and union territories to be attentive to changes in the clinical profile of the patients. He urged them not to wait till the results of genome sequence is back to identify emerging clusters. “States need to be attentive to the changing pattern of clinical manifestation of hospitalised patients,” said Dr Guleria.
At the meeting, it was also pointed out that there was “substantial scope” to increase the pace of vaccination is Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Assam, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
