Centre writes to States to keep Covid positivity below 10 percent

Being aware of the fact that the Covid19 situation in many districts in India is still worrisome, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has asked 15 States including eight from the Northeast to keep the Covid positivity rate below 10 per cent.

New Delhi: Being aware of the fact that the Covid19 situation in many districts in India is still worrisome, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has asked 15 States including eight from the Northeast to keep the Covid positivity rate below 10 per cent. In separate letters written to the Chief Secretaries, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhusan has suggested the need to adopt stringent containment measures in those districts witnessing positivity of more than 10 per cent in the last one week.

Bhushan on Monday evening wrote letters to Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Odisha, Puducherry, West Bengal, Tripura, Sikkim, Manipur, Rajasthan. Health secretary Bhushan in his letter mentioned that many districts in these States have witnessed a Covid-19 positivity rate of more than 10 per cent from June 21 to 27. The health secretary also suggested increasing the number of RT PCR tests.

"With the recent trend of sustained decline in Covid19 cases across the country, it is imperative to maintain a strict watch on the situation with focussed district level and sub-district level action. Therefore, the flexibilities being allowed and activities being permitted across the State must be done in a calibrated and cautioned manner," said Bhushan.

The health secretary in his letter has also suggested the States and UTs flood mapping of cases, reviewing ward and block-wise indicators, focussing on active surveillance and quick hospitalization among others. In a related development, health secretary Bhushan has asked West Bengal chief secretary Hari Krishna Dwivedi to take strict action against fake vaccination centres in the State.

Referring to a letter written by the leader of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Subhendu Adhikary regarding the Covid-19 vaccination camp being organised allegedly by unauthorised people, Bhushan said that the matter should urgently be enquired. The Health Secretary has also asked for a factual report on the matter in the next 2 days.

Bhushan in his letter said that in some of the vaccination camps, notably in Kasba locality in Kolkata, none of the beneficiaries have received any vaccination certificate generated from Co-WIN. As per the rule, vaccination certificates generated from the Co-WIN app should be given to the beneficiaries. "Non-issuance of these certificates lead to the apprehension of fake vaccination camps and also raised doubt on the contents of injections delivered in such camps," Bhushan said in his letter.