Consider strict measures to check spread of infection, Centre tells states

The Centre on April 25 asked all state health secretaries to take action from preventing the coronavirus from spreading fast.

“A very high number of daily new COVID cases are being reported for the past few days. Considering this unprecedented surge, there is an urgent need for states to consider strict COVID management and control measures in surge areas to bring the situation under control,” Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in a letter.

While there is a need to continue following the five-fold strategy of test-track-isolate-treat-vaccinate and concurrent planning to ensure Covid appropriate behaviour, it is also important to contain the spread of infection in areas reporting higher cases and surge, since existing infrastructure may not be able to cope with this kind of surge, Bhushan said.

Also read: Kerala COVID spike linked to UK variant, shows data

The Centre wanted states to identify districts/cities/areas to flatten the current curve of the virus. “Such districts may be identified if the positivity rate is above 10 per cent or more in the last one week, bed occupancy of more than 60 per cent on either oxygen supported or ICU beds and action taken,” the secretary said.

“Districts that fulfil any of the above two criteria should be considered for taking intensive action and local containment measures. Local containment primarily focused on restricting intermingling of people may be taken for 14 days for breaking the chain.”

Identification of areas for local containment should be a dynamic exercise aiming to break and suppress the chain of transmission, he said.

Soon after receiving the letter, the Tamil Nadu government decided against imposing a lockdown even in those districts where the positivity rate was higher than 10 per cent. “We are aware that Chennai, Coimbatore and a few other districts, which have more than 10 per cent positivity rate, action needs to be taken. We are not thinking of a lockdown in these districts but strict containment zones will be followed,” an official said.

“The letter does not ask states to go for lockdown in those districts where the positivity rate is higher than 10 per cent. We will not take any decision before May 4, by which time a new government may be in place. Centre has not consulted us on lockdown in such districts.”