New Delhi: States like Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh are reporting a huge surge in the daily COVID-19 cases. These five states account for over 80 per cent of the new infections, the Union Health Ministry said Friday. The Health Ministry also said that India’s total active caseload has increased to 2,71,282. It comprises 2.82 per cent of the total infections.
Maharashtra continues to report the highest daily new cases at 25,833 which is 65 per cent of daily cases. It is followed by Punjab with 2,369 while Kerala reported 1,899 new cases, the Health Ministry said. In fact the cases reported from Maharashtra are the highest single-day spike in the state since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year in March.
Eight states are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases. They are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka and Haryana. The Centre is actively engaging with all state and UT governments to keep a check on matters, the Health Ministry said.
States and UTs have been advised to improve testing in districts reporting reduction in testing. They have been asked to increase the overall share of RT-PCR tests (more than 70 per cent), especially in districts dependent on high levels of antigen testing in line with the ‘Test Track and Treat’ strategy of the government.
They have also been advised to carry out an average close contact tracing of minimum of 20 persons per positive case (in the first 72 hours) along with isolation and early treatment of the serious cases as per clinical protocol.
“It is also advised to focus on surveillance and stringent containment of those areas in selected districts which are seeing cluster of cases and focus on clinical management in districts reporting higher deaths. It has been advised that the states and UTs should also follow up on sending samples for genome testing to track virus variants of concern,” the Health Ministry informed.
The ministry also said that nearly 4 crore (3,93,39,817) vaccine doses have been administered through 6,47,480 sessions, as per the provisional report till Friday 7.00am.
These include 76,35,188 HCWs (1st dose),47,15,173 HCWs (2nd dose), 78,33,278 FLWs (1st dose)and21,98,414 FLWs (2nd Dose), 27,79,998 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities (1st Dose)and 1,41,77,766 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years. As on day-62 of the vaccination drive (18th March), more than 22 Lakh (22,02,861) vaccine doses were given.