NEW DELHI: As Covid-19 cases are spiking in some states, especially in Maharashtra and Kerala, the Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday warned states and union territories in a review meeting that Covid is not over yet.
Highlighting the need to be alert and not to forget Covid-appropriate behaviour, Mandaviya told health ministers of state and union territories in a meeting to review the status and progress of the door-to-door vaccination drive ‘Har Ghar Dastak 2.0’ launched on June 1 that there was a need to be cautious and to strengthen genome sequencing.
“Covid-19 is not over yet. With rising Covid-19 cases in some states, it is important to be alert and not to forget Covid-appropriate behaviour," Mandaviya said at the virtual meet.
Stressing the importance of vaccination among vulnerable age groups, he urged the state health ministers to personally review the status and progress of the particular month-long drive ‘Har Ghar Dastak 2.0 campaign.’
“Let us accelerate our efforts to identify all beneficiaries in the 12-17 age group for the 1st and 2nd doses so that they can attend schools with the protection of the vaccine,” he added.
He said there was a need to widen vaccination coverage for schoolchildren as well as giving precautionary doses to the elderly.
India has been registering a continued surge in daily new Covid cases since June 1. On Monday, the country recorded 8,084 fresh Covid-19 cases and ten deaths. This is the third day India's daily new cases crossed the 8000 mark.
Officials said that the surge is “localised” and was not an indication of a fourth wave.
The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) will be reviewing the data of genomic surveillance of variants in the country to detect whether any new variant is causing the spike, officials added.
On June 9, Union Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote to several states asking them not to lower guard and follow the five-fold strategy of test-track-treat, vaccinate, following Covid behaviour to arrest the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus.