Health Secretary advises seven states about specific measures
IT Correspondent
New Delhi/Mumbai, Feb 25:
Given the resurgence of COVID-19 strains in certain parts of country, the Centre has deputed high level multi-disciplinary teams to ten states, for supporting them in public health measures for targeted COVID response and management, and effectively tackling the pandemic.
The states include: Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir
The three –member multidisciplinary teams headed by Joint Secretary level officers in the Health Ministry, will work closely with the States/UT administration and ascertain reasons for recent surge in the number of COVID19 cases. The states have been advised for regular critical review of the emerging situation with concerned District officials to ensure that gains made so far in COVID management are not lost.
Active case load
India’s active cases rose to 1,46,907 cases on Wednesday, February 25, which comprised 1.33% of India’s total positive cases. 13,742 new daily cases were recorded and 14,037 recoveries were registered, leading to a net decline of 399 cases in the total active caseload on Wednesday.
Maharashtra continued to report the highest daily new cases with 6,218 on Wednesday, followed by Kerala with4,034, while Tamil Nadu reported 442 new cases. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (51). Kerala reported 14 deaths and Punjab reported 10 deaths. In all 104 deaths were reported on Wednesday.
Over 100 average daily new cases in 12 states
In last one week, 12 states-Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Telangana, Delhi and Haryana, reported more than 100 average daily new cases.
States with no deaths
19 States/UTs have not reported any COVID19 deaths in last 24 hours. These are Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chandigarh, Assam, Lakshadweep, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, A&N Islands, Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, D&D and D&N.
Health Secretary writes to states
In a letter the Union Health Secretary, has exhorted Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to focus on undertaking aggressive measures to break the chain of transmission and to ensure that RT-PCR testing is amplified to flush out hitherto undetected cases from the population. These States/UT have been advised to increase testing in a focussed manner in the affected districts with the appropriate split of RT-PCR and Rapid Antigen Tests and to also ensure that all symptomatic negatives of antigen tests are compulsorily tested via RT-PCR tests.
Vaccination
As on Wednesday 1,21,65,598 people were vaccinated through 2,54,356 sessions across the country. They included -64,98,300 Health Care Workers (HCWs) (1st dose), 13,98,400 HCWs (2nd dose) and 42,68,898 Front Line Workers(FLW) (1st dose). The 2nd dose of COVID19 vaccination started on February, 13,2021 for those beneficiaries who have completed 28 days after receipt of the 1st dose. Vaccination of the FLWs started on Feb 02 2021.
12 States/UTs vaccinate over 75% of the registered HCWs.
Bihar, Tripura, Odisha, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, UP and Rajasthan have administered more than 75% of the registered HCWs.
12 States/UTs administer more than 60% of the registered FLWs.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Rajasthan, Lakshadweep, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh, have vaccinated more than 60% of registered FLWs.
