The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday directed Kerala and Maharashtra, both having higher number of COVID-19 cases, to intensify efforts to check the spread of the virus. The two states were also advised to ramp up the testing and vaccination process.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla chaired a review meeting of the pandemic situation in these two states and observed that more efforts are required to arrest the increase in infections. “This would require adequate intervention in geographical areas having higher infection, through measures such as contact tracing, vaccination drives and COVID appropriate behavior,” said a home ministry statement.
Bhalla also suggested that the states explore the possibility of placing night curfew in areas of high positivity.
The state governments were advised to continue with their vaccination programmes and in case they required more vaccines, the same would be provided to the extent possible, the ministry said, adding that efforts must be made to consume the vaccine doses received.
“It was also emphasized that along with vaccination, Covid-appropriate behavior must also continue to be encouraged and events with potential of having mass gatherings during the coming festive season must be avoided. It was also advised that testing must be ramped up in areas in the two states where positivity rates are being found to be on the higher side,” the MHA said.
The home secretary also said that focus should be placed over the next few months to suppress the levels of transmission of the virus so that the chain of transmission can be controlled more effectively.
Kerala posted 30,007 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the second consecutive day it reported more than 30,000, and 162 deaths which pushed the total infection count in the state to 39.13 lakh and the toll to 20,134.
According to health ministry, four states—Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh—have active cases between 10,000 and 1 lakh, while 31 states and union territories have less than 10,000 active cases currently.