Union ministry of health and family welfare on Saturday directed all states and Union Territories (UT) to maintain an optimum level of testing for Covid-19 amid a gradual but sustained increase in the trajectory of the number of cases across the country since mid-February. Dr Rajiv Bahl, deputy general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) suggested to keep a close watch on the evolving causes of seasonal influenza cases as both the flu and Covid-19 share a number of similarities on various grounds.
Also read: India records over 1,500 fresh Covid cases, highest in 146 days
The ministry realised that some states have been ‘heavily relying’ on the less effective rapid antigen tests against Covid-19 and also that there are variations in the number of tests conducted at district and block levels. “In the past several weeks in some states, Covid-19 testing has declined and the current testing levels are insufficient as compared to the standards prescribed by WHO, i.e., 140 per million…Hence, it is critical to maintain optimum testing for Covid-19, equitably distributed across the states,” Dr Bahl, who is also the secretary of Union health ministry’s department of health and research, said in a statement, adding that it is important to identifu any emerging hotspots and take per-emptive actions against it.
On March 25, India recorded 1,500 fresh Covid cases, the highest in 146 days. Similarly, the active caseload stands at 8,601. The death toll went up to 5,30,824 with six more fatalities- three reported from Maharashtra and one each recorded in Karnataka, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.
The senior official also said that a countrywide mock drill will be conducted on April 10 and 11 across health facilities to take stock of their preparedness. “The exact details of the mock driill shall be communicated to the states in the virtual meeting scheduled on Monday, March 27,” he added.
The Union health ministry earlier advised states and Union Territories to implement a five-fold strategy to ‘test, track, treat, follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and vaccinate’ in order to check the spread of Covid infection.
