Health Ministry asks Maharashtra, Andhra, Karnataka to break COVID-19 transmission chain

With Maharastra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases with higher caseload and mortality rate, Union Health Ministry has asked the three states to focus on undertaking aggressive measures to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission. The states have been advised to proactively ensure higher testing and effective clinical management along with efficient monitoring at various level.

New Delhi:The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday has asked Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka to focus on undertaking aggressive measures to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission and to ensure that the mortality rate is kept below 1 per cent.

The states have been advised to proactively ensure higher testing and effective clinical management to lower fatality and save lives along with efficient monitoring at various level.

These three states have been witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases with higher caseload and mortality.

The states account for about 46 per cent of the active cases reported nationally in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra alone has accounted for 22 per cent of all active cases reported in the last 24 hours.

Similarly, these states account for 52 per cent of all COVID deaths reported across the nation in the past 24 hours with Maharashtra alone accounting for 35 per cent of all deaths.

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Identifying a few places, the Ministry has said that Pune, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Sangli, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Raigad, Jalgaon, Solapur, Sahara and Palghar in Maharashmaharatra, Prakasam and Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh and Koppal, Mysuru, Davangere and Bellari in Karnataka need to take effective containment and contact tracing process.

Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu account for more than 60 per cent of the total active cases in India.

Of the total deaths in the country, 70 per cent are recorded in just five states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh. Maharashtra alone accounts for 37.33 per cent of the total deaths.

Meanwhile, with 11.70 lakh tests being conducted in the last 24 hours, India's total number of COVID tests reached to 4,77 crore.

India currently has 1,647 laboratories to conduct COVID tests.

On the recommendations of the National Task Force on COVID-19, a new advisory issued by Health Ministry has given more freedom to the States by including choice of tests for COVID-19.

The advisory suggested for routine surveillance in containment zones and screening at points of entry, routine surveillance in non-containment areas and flexibility in hospital settings.

The advisory said that no emergency procedure (including deliveries) should be delayed for lack of tests. "However, the sample can be sent for testing. All arrangements should be made to collect and transfer samples to testing facilities," the advisory said.

A 'testing in demand' section has also been included in the advisory under which all individuals undertaking travel to countries and within India are mandated a negative COVID-19 test at the point of entry and all individuals can do the test if they wish to.

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The advisory said that no re-testing is recommended before discharge from a COVID-19 facility after clinical recovery, including for transfer from a COVID area and facility to a non- COVID area.

Meanwhile, India on Saturday registered highest single day recovery of 70,000 patients taking the total recovery number to more than 31 lakh.

India's COVID-19 recovery rate now stands at 77.23 per cent. Country's active cases are 8,46,395 which is 21.04 per cent of the total positive cases.

Statistics revealed that five states contribute 60 per cent of the country's total recoveries with Maharashtra (21 per cent), Tamil Nadu (12.63 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (11.91 per cent) Karnataka (8.82 per cent) and Uttar Pradesh (6.14 per cent).