NEW DELHI:
The Centre has suggested Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh to undertake adequate testing with higher proportion of RT PCR tests following reports that the average Covid-19 tests per million population in these States are below the national average.
Expressing concern over such a dismal trend of testing, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan asked all these States to undertake adequate testing with higher proportion of RT PCR tests in the districts reporting higher positivity rate.
It was also found that while the share of RT-PCR tests is very low in the states of Assam, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh and below the national average in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and West Bengal.
The health secretary was chairing a review meeting over the Covid-19 situation in nine States including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram from Northeast.
Besides Bhushan, other senior officials of the health ministry took part in the review meeting through video conferencing which was attended by Principal Secretary (Health), Mission Director (NHM) and State Surveillance Officers from the states.
The other States are Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh.
It was noted that there remains substantial scope in increasing the pace of vaccination in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Assam, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. States were also exhorted to ensure strict surveillance in all the districts of concern that are showing a positivity rate of over 10 percent in the last week.
States were advised to undertake tests indicating the proportion of international arrivals, with genome sequencing of all positives; identify sentinel sites for INSACOG network to send samples for Whole Genome Sequencing.
The States have also been asked also to send positive samples from large clusters and outbreaks in the community and unusual events for Whole Genome Sequencing.
States were also urged to accelerate administration of ongoing free Covid-19 vaccination for 1st, 2nd and precaution dose.