With Covid 19 cases increasing in some states, the Centre deputed high-level multi-disciplinary teams to these states for supporting their initiative in tackling the pandemic. The teams are sent to Kerala, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir.
The teams will support the states in public health measures for targeted Covid response and management. Joint Secretary level officers in the Health Ministry will lead the three member multidisciplinary teams. These teams will work closely with the States/UT administration and ascertain reasons for the recent surge in the number of cases. They will also coordinate with health authorities of the States and UT for requisite Covid 19 control measures to break the chain of transmission.
The Centre also wrote to the states and exhorted them to focus on undertaking aggressive measures to break the chain of Covid 19 transmission. The Centre asked to ensure the increase of RT-PCR testing to detect all cases. The States UT should increase testing in a focussed manner in the affected districts with the appropriate split of RT-PCR and Rapid Antigen Tests. The centre said that the states should ensure the testing of all symptomatic negatives of antigen tests through RTPCR. The positive persons must be promptly isolated and all their close contacts traced.
The Centre reminded the States and UTs that any laxity in implementing stringent measures to curb the spread, especially in view of new strain of virus observed in certain countries, could compound the situation. The Union Health Secretary requested the Chief Secretaries of the States and UTS to provide time to these High Level Central teams to debrief the respective Chief Secretaries at the conclusion of their State visits
