Strict lockdown recommended in hard hit districts

The National Task Force on Covid-19 on Wednesday reiterated that stringent containment and lockdown measures need to be followed in districts reporting more than 10 percent positivity rate over the last one week.

New Delhi: The National Task Force on Covid-19 on Wednesday reiterated that stringent containment and lockdown measures need to be followed in districts reporting more than 10 percent positivity rate over the last one week and having over 60 percent occupancy of beds supported by oxygen or in ICU.

“The step was necessary to curtail the rapid spread of the Covid-19 infection,” said an official privy to the meeting.

The task force headed by Niti Aayog's Dr VK Paul also opined that state governments need to emphasize on vaccinating people with the second dose following the fact that many people have not been inoculated with the second dose.

The government reports said that out of the total 13.55 crore people vaccinated with the first dose, only 3.72 crore people have been vaccinated with the second dose.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) also believes that along with the vaccination drive, stringent containment and lockdown measures are the two factors that could flatten the current curve of the pandemic.

The task force also discussed the use of plasma treatment for treating Covid-19 patients following reports that there was no major benefit from plasma therapy.

It may be mentioned here that plasma therapy, at present, is an investigational therapy and there was no formal go-ahead from the health ministry regarding the plasma treatment.

“Plasma theory was on the agenda of the meeting. It was partially discussed. A detailed discussion will be held at the next meeting. However, it can be said that findings will not change. Only to draft more clear advisory will be issued so that people and physicians can follow properly,” said an official at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, Dr Balram Bhargava, director-general of the ICMR has said that lockdown restrictions should remain for 6-8 weeks in all districts where the Covid positivity rate is above 10 percent.

The lockdown should be there in high positivity districts. If they come to 5 per cent from 10 per cent, the lockdown should be withdrawn, he added.

There are 21 states and UTs across India reporting a more than 10 per cent positivity rate of Covid cases. As per government records, 45 districts in Madhya Pradesh report more than 10 per cent positivity, 38 districts in Uttar Pradesh, 36 in Maharastra, 34 in Tamil Nadu, 33 in Bihar, 28 in Karnataka and Rajasthan, 27 in Odisha, 24 in Chhattisgarh, 23 in Gujarat, 22 in Haryana, 22 in West Bengal, 20 in Assam, 18 in Jharkhand and Punjab, 14 in Kerala, 13 Arunachal Pradesh, 12 in Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and all 11 districts in Delhi.

In a related development, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday reviewed the Covid status with state health ministers through a video conferencing.

Officials in the health ministry said that Dr Vardhan reviewed the progress of the Covid-19 vaccination drive & the steps to accelerate it in Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Telangana.