PM stresses localised containment, testing

Include door-to-door testing, report data accurately, help rural India with O2: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting to review the Covid-19 situation in the country, directing government officials to make a distribution plan for oxygen supply to rural areas and scale up health infrastructure to manage the disease burden in those regions.

The Prime Minister asked officials to focus on testing, including door-to-door testing and assist health care workers in rural areas, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. He also stressed that local containment efforts were the “need of the hour”, especially in states where the test-positivity rate – an indication of the spread of the virus within a population – is high.

“PM asked for augmentation of healthcare resources in rural areas to focus on door-to-door testing and surveillance. He also spoke about empowering ASHA & Anganwadi workers with all necessary tools,” the statement said.

PM Modi’s directions are significant, given that the deadly second wave of infections in the country appears to have affected rural hinterland faster than it did during the first out

NEW DELHI: