COVID-19: Center leaves Maharashtra behind due to inadequate efforts of contact-tracing, urging strict strategy

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, expressing concern over the ever increasing cases of Maharashtra, has written a letter to the state government secretary Rajesh Bhushan, urging the administration for efforts to get inadequate connectivity, calling it strict and effective control. Strategies should focus on and plan for this worst-case background.

In a letter based on the report of a central team by Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte, Mr. Bhushan cautioned that the state was in the grip of a “second wave” of the epidemic, stating that the weekend strike and nightfall Measures such as curfew (currently being deployed by the state government), “had very limited effect on suppressing or suppressing transmission.”

Read this also. 15,051 new COVID-19 cases, 48 ​​deaths in Maharashtra

“There is a very limited active effort to track, test, isolate cases and quarantine contacts. There is no observance of the appropriate behavior of COVID-19 among people in both rural and urban areas, ”the Union Health Secretary wrote in the letter.

Completing vaccination

He also pointed out that eight of India’s top 10 districts in active COVID-19 infection cases were in Maharashtra and that the only way to curb contagion was to increase the pace of vaccination, especially in those districts that see a strong case. Were staying. Boom.

“Therefore, the administration should focus on a strict and effective control strategy … for each positive case, at least 20 to 30 close contacts [including family contacts, social contacts’ workplace contacts, and other casual contacts] Need to detect and track immediately. Although the health structure is still adequate, the state should plan for a worse situation with sufficient lead time, ”Mr. Bhushan wrote.

Read this also. 60% of new COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra

Noting that the number of active cases in the state has increased by 171.5% in the last one month, Mr. Bhushan said that on February 11, the cases were shot up from 36,917 to 11,00,240.

He further stated that the central team had speculated that the administrative apparatus in the state should be “re-routed to the level seen in August last year to control / suppress COVID-19 transmission.”

For the past fortnight, Maharashtra has been witnessing a daily jump of over 10,000 cases, which has increased to 15,000 in the last few days. The state’s active case tally has gone beyond the 1.30 lakh mark.

Speculation about lockdown

Amid speculation about a second, more drastic and imminent lockdown, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Monday clarified that the lockdown had not yet taken place despite rising cases of pandemic conditions.

The state government on Monday imposed several restrictions on all social, cultural and religious ceremonies, except cinema halls, hotels, restaurants and offices (related to health and essential services), to function at only 50% capacity by 31 March. Was announced. .

Taking stern action on the culprits, the notification warned that violations of the norms would result in the closure of the flawed establishment.

The government circular further stated that as far as possible, employees should be asked to work from home.

Pune, Nagpur, Nashik and Mumbai cities are the worst affected in the state, with Pune and Nagpur districts recording a daily increase of over 2,000 cases.