'Keep Vigil, Continue Testing-Tracking': Health Secy Pulls Up States With Surge In Covid Caseload

States such as Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal and others have lifted all Covid induced restrictions, while some even made wearing face masks optional. 

Passengers stand in a queue during a Covid-19 coronavirus screening. (File Photo/ AFP)

New Delhi: Days after several states lifted Covid-19 curbs in the wake decline in daily caseload, Union Health Ministry on Friday asked Delhi, Haryana, Kerala, Maharashtra and Mizoram to keep strict vigil and take prompt actions if required. 

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to the aforementioned states over the increase in Covid19 cases in the last week, asking them to maintain a strict watch and take pre-emptive action if required, news agency ANI reported.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan writes to Delhi, Haryana, Kerala, Maharashtra and Mizoram over the increase in Covid19 cases in the respective states the last week, asking them to maintain a strict watch and take pre-emptive action if required.

— ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2022

"A sustained and significant decline in the number of Covid-19 cases has been observed in lndia over the past 2 months, with the country reporting less than 1,000 daily new cases for the past few days. Further, weekly positivity rate has remained below 1 per cent," he said in the letter.

The letter reads that that there has been an increase in the weekly new cases from 724 new cases in the week ending April 1, to 826 new cases till Friday, accounting to 11.33 per cent of India's new cases.

Bhushan has directed all these states to continue monitoring the clusters of new Covid-19 cases, perform adequate testing, undertake required steps in areas reporting high case positivity, and monitor influenza-like illness and SARI cases in all health facilities on a regular basis for detecting early warning signals of the spread of infection.

The states have also been asked to follow the strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination and adherence to Covid appropriate behaviour, along with the vaccination of all eligible people.

According to reports, Bhushan will hold a meeting with the health secretaries and health officials of all States/UTs regarding COVID19 precaution dose administration tomorrow.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan to hold a meeting with the health secretaries and health officials of all States/UTs regarding COVID19 precaution dose administration tomorrow: Official sources

(file photo) pic.twitter.com/BHdcXgLLf2

— ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2022

States such as Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Kerala and others have lifted all Covid induced restrictions, while some even made wearing face masks optional. 

Experts questioned the move and opined that wearing masks should still be mandatory despite India seeing a big drop in Covid cases.

India's Covid Tally

India on Friday reported a marginal increase with 1,109 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, against the 1,033 infections reported a day earlier. Also in the same period, 43 additional Covid-19 deaths increased the overall death toll to 5,21,573.

Delhi's daily Covid caseload recorded a marginal jump for third consecutive day on Thursday with the capital city reporting 176 new infections. With this, national capital's overall Covid count has increased to 18,65,796 while the death toll stands at 26,155.

Maharashtra on Thursday added 128 new Covid-19 cases and six more deaths, which pushed the caseload and death toll to 78,74,818 and 1,47,806 respectively. 

Meanwhile, 159 patients recovered in Maharashtra in the last 24 hours, taking their cumulative number to 77,26,184 and leaving the state with 828 active cases.