With the surging Covid-19 cases across the country, the Centre has asked eight states to strengthen the preparedness, increase the vaccine coverage on Thursday.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote to Delhi, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Jharkhand, advising the States to enhance Covid-19 testing, strengthen hospital-level preparedness, increase pace and coverage of vaccination.
The move comes in the backdrop of increasing Covid-19 cases across the country.
Rajesh Bhushan directed these states to take measures as there has been an increase in Covid cases and lessening of doubling time.
These states have been told to enhance testing, strengthen hospital-level preparedness, increase pace and coverage of vaccination.
The Center has also directed the states to enhance the testing in a focused manner with maintaining the ratio between RT-PCR and Rapid Antigen Test (RAT). The states have been advised to go for proactive contact tracing and isolation and quarantine of the contacts of positive cases, their testing and follow up.
India on Thursday reported 13,154 Covid-19 cases in a sharp rise in the last 24 hours. The total Omicron cases stood at 961.
According to Luv Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, "On average, India reported more than 8,000 cases per day last week. Overall case positivity rate stands at 0.92 per cent. From December 26 onwards, the country has been reporting 10,000 daily cases."
"The weekly positivity rate of more than 10 per cent is being noted in eight districts including six districts from Mizoram, one from Arunachal Pradesh, Kolkata in West Bengal. The weekly case positivity rate is between 5 per cent -10 per cent in 14 districts," he added.
Earlier, the Election Commission also asked the vaccination to be speeded in the poll-bound states.
According to reports, the EC is also taking necessary steps in following the Covid-19 protocol and helping the voting process run in a smooth manner. The Centre also had asked the states to ramp up the vaccination process across the country as there was a continuous surge in Covid-19 cases.
The weekly positivity rate in the country is 0.76 per cent, which remains lesser than 1 per cent for the last 46 days. The daily positivity rate is 1.10 per cent which remains lesser than 2 per cent for the past 87 days. The maximum number of Omicron cases were registered in Mumbai and Delhi, followed by Bengaluru.