Centre tells Kerala, Maharashtra to intensify efforts to check spread of COVID-19

New Delhi: The Centre Thursday asked Kerala and Maharashtra, both having high number of Covid cases, to intensify efforts to check the spread of the virus through interventions like contact tracing and vaccination.

This was conveyed by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla while reviewing the COVID-19 situation in the two states.

Of the 46,164 fresh coronavirus cases recorded in the country in a 24-hour span, 31,445 were in Kerala.

Maharashtra has reported 5,031 new cases and 216 fresh fatalities on Wednesday.

The home secretary reviewed the steps taken by the governments of Kerala and Maharashtra for checking the spread of COVID-19, an official statement said.

Bhalla observed that more efforts would be required to arrest the increase in infections.

This would require adequate intervention in geographical areas having higher infection, through measures such as contact tracing, vaccination drives and Covid appropriate behaviour, the statement said.

Bhalla also suggested that the state governments should explore the possibility of placing night curfew in areas of high positivity.

The state governments were advised that they should continue with their vaccination programmes and in case they required more vaccines, it would be provided to the extent possible.

However, efforts must be made to consume the vaccine doses received. It was also emphasised that along with vaccination, Covid appropriate behaviour must also continue to be encouraged and events with potential of having mass gatherings during the coming festive season must be avoided, the statement said.

The states were also advised that testing must be ramped up in areas where positivity rates are being found to be on the higher side.

Focus should also be placed over the next few months to suppress the levels of transmission of the virus so that the chain of transmission can be controlled more effectively, the statement said.

The meeting was attended by V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, chief secretaries and directors general of police of Kerala and Maharashtra.

According to official data, Kerala is the only state in the country reporting over one lakh active COVID-19 cases, while four states have active cases in the range of 10,000 to one lakh and 31 have less than 10,000 active cases of the infection.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who visited Kerala on August 16, announced a special package of Rs 267.35 crore for the southern state to strengthen its health infrastructure.

During his visit, Mandaviya had a meeting with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Health Minister Veena George and officials.

He announced that the Centre would provide all possible help to the state. Besides, it was promised that an amount of Rs 1 crore would be made available to each district in Kerala to create a pool of medicines.

With 46,164 people testing positive for the infection in a day, India's COVID-19 tally climbed to 3,25,58,530, while the number of active cases shot up to 3,33,725, the Union health ministry said.

The death toll due to the viral disease has gone up to 4,36,365 with 607 fresh fatalities, according to the ministry's data.