States with rising Covid cases told to test more
Instructed to monitor mutant strains with genome sequencing
The Centre has asked states that are witnessing a spike in daily new cases to substantially increase their RTPCR testing and also subject all those who have tested negative in the Rapid Antigen tests a mandatory retest by RT-PCR. The Centre has asked the states and UTs to go for strict and comprehensive surveillance, and stringent containment measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 at the earliest. The states have also been told to regularly monitor the mutant strains via testing followed by Genome Sequencing, as well as monitor the emerging cluster of cases, and focus on clinical management in the districts reporting higher deaths.
In Maharashtra, the cases are again over 5,000 and the state appears to be witnessing a “third wave”. The Union health ministry has said India is seeing a rise in the active caseload in the past few days. The country’s total active caseload was pegged at 1,45,634 on Sunday and consists of 1.32 per cent of total positive cases. There were 14,264 fresh cases and 90 deaths reported across India in the past 24 hours.
More than 74 per cent of the active cases are in Kerala and Maharashtra. Of late it is seen there is a spike in the daily cases in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh as well. Punjab and J&K too are witnessing a surge in daily new cases.
In the past four weeks in Kerala, the average weekly cases have fluctuated between a high of 42,000 to a low of 34,800. Similarly, in the last four weeks, the weekly
positivity in Kerala has ranged from 13.9 per cent to 8.9 per cent. In Kerala, the district of Alappuzha is a cause of special concern where the weekly positivity rate has increased to 10.7 per cent and the weekly cases have increased to 2,833.
In Maharashtra, in the past four weeks, the weekly cases have shown a rising trend and have increased from 18,200 to 21,300; while the weekly positivity has also increased from 4.7 per cent to 8.0 per cent.
Punjab is also rapidly assuming a critical dimension with regard to the spread of Covid-19 infections. In the state, in the past four weeks, the weekly positivity rate has increased from 1.4 per cent to 1.6 per cent, while the weekly cases in the last four weeks have seen a rise from 1,300 to 1,682. In one district of SBS Nagar alone, the weekly positivity rate has become 4.9 per cent from 3.5 per cent and the weekly cases have more than doubled from 165 to 364.