Step up testing, look for mutants, Punjab told

New Delhi, February 21

With India’s active Covid-19 caseload creeping up slowly, the Centre today wrote to six

infection-contributing states, asking them to heighten surveillance in clusters, test more and look for potential mutants.

The active cases today rose to 1,45,634, up from 1,37,567 on February 14. The total active cases stand at 1.32 per cent of overall infections and have risen through the week, in a reversal of declining trends in the past. The Centre has written to Maharashtra, Kerala,

Edit: Surge in covid cases

Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir asking them to work on five areas—improve overall testing by focusing on increasing the proportion of RT-PCR tests; ensure all negative rapid antigen test results are followed with RT-PCR tests and no positive persons are missed; refocus on strict surveillance and containment in selected districts; regular monitoring of mutant strains followed by genome sequencing; and a close watch on emerging clusters of cases.

The ministry has asked the states to focus on clinical management in districts reporting higher deaths. More than 74% of the active cases are in Kerala and Maharashtra.

In the last four weeks in Kerala, the average weekly cases have fluctuated between a high of 42,000 to a low of 34,800 and weekly positivity ranged between 13.9 per cent and 8.9 per cent. Alappuzha district is of major concern with weekly positivity rate rising to 10.7 per cent amid mass gatherings, low testing and lax Covid appropriate conduct.

In Maharashtra, in the last four weeks, weekly cases have shown a rising trend and have increased from 18,200 to 21,300 and positivity has risen from 4.7% to 8%. The Mumbai Suburban area saw weekly cases rise by 19%. In Nagpur, Amravati, Nashik, Akola and Yavatmal, weekly cases rose by 33,47,23,55 and 48%.

The Health Ministry said Punjab was also “rapidly assuming critical dimensions in respect of the spread of infection.”

“In Punjab in the last four weeks, the weekly positivity rate has increased from 1.4 to 1.6 per cent while the weekly cases in the last four weeks have seen a rise from 1,300 to 1,682. In SBS Nagar alone, the weekly positivity rate has risen to 4.9 from 3.5 per cent and the weekly cases have more than doubled from 165 to 364,” the ministry said.

Five states/UTs have a weekly positivity rate more than the national average of 1.79 per cent. These are Maharashtra (8.10 per cent), Kerala (7.90), Andhra Pradesh (3.30), Goa (3) and Chandigarh (1.80). — TNS