Chennai: Even as Covid-19 cases crossed the grim four lakh mark in Tamilnadu, the Union government has urged States including TN to take immediate steps to cut down the mortalities due to the infectious disease.
The Union government reviewed the Covid-19 management and response strategy in nine States and one UT which contributed to 89 per cent of deaths due to the infection in the last two weeks, an official statement said.
In a review meeting by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, these states and the union territory were asked to continue with rigorous vigil so as to contain the spread of infection as well as take steps to reduce fatalities.
The states and Union Territories where the Covid-19 deaths are high include Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.
These states have been urged to proactively take steps towards reducing case fatality to less than 1% across all districts by focusing on effective containment, contact tracing, and surveillance and ensuring that in at least in 80% of new positive cases, all close contacts are traced and tested within 72 hours.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan made a detailed presentation on the current status of Covid-19 in these states and the UT, with a focus on districts reporting high case fatality and the need to refine as well as strengthen approach and strategies relating to testing, contact tracing, surveillance, containment, home isolation, availability of ambulances, hospital beds, oxygen and treatment protocols.
‘It was observed that out of the total deaths in the country in the last two weeks, 89 per cent of deaths are in these nine states and one UT,’ the statement said.