Cabinet Secretary reviews 10 States/UTs with high COVID-19 Case Fatality

Centre on Thursday reviewed COVID-19 manment and response strategy in nine states and one UT which contributed to 89 per cent of deaths due to infection in last two weeks, an official statement said. In a review meeting by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, se states and union territory were asked to continue with rigorous vigil so as to contain spre of infection as well as take steps to reduce fatalities.

Gauba held a video conference with chief secretaries and health secretaries of Maharashtra, Tamil Nu, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat, West Bengal, Uttar Presh, Punjab, Andhra Presh and Jammu and Kashmir, health ministry said in statement. states and UT were vised to proactively take steps towards reducing case fatality to less than one per cent across all districts focusing on effective containment, contact tracing and surveillance.

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Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan me a detailed presentation on current status of COVID-19 in se states and UT, with a focus on districts reporting high case fatality and need to refine as well as strengn 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 total deaths in country in last two weeks, 89 per cent of deaths are in se nine states and one UT," statement said.

y were also vised to ensure that at least in 80 per cent of fresh COVID-19 cases, all close contacts be traced and tested with 72 hours and a minimum of 140 tests per million per day be done in all districts while targeting a positivity/confirmation rate of less than 5 per cent, it said. y were asked to lever on antigen tests in containment zones, healthcare settings and retesting of all symptomatic negatives with RT-PCR. Regular monitoring of home isolation patients (tele-calling and home visits) and ensuring timely mission to healthcare facilities if SpO2 (blood oxygen level) falls below designated level was also stressed, statement said.

nine states and UT were also asked to put in public domain availability of beds and ambulances across COVID facilities while significantly reducing ambulance response time. Saving lives by effective clinical manment of all cases and monitoring week-wise fatality rates for each health facility with particular focus on vulnerable patients (comorbid, patients above 60 years of ) was emphasised.

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Upgring COVID facilities based on caselo and monitoring availability and us of necessary drugs, masks and PPE kits in all facilities was also impressed upon. Focus on Behavioral Change Communication promoting COVID appropriate behavior consisting of social distancing, wearing of masks, hand hygiene and cough etiquettes was highlighted, statement said. chief secretaries explained about current situation in states/UT and ir preparedness to tackle spre of COVID-19, health infrastructure available to meet challenge and steps taken to strengn it furr.

states and UT also highlighted steps taken towards reducing case fatality as well as involving community in terms of COVID-19 safe behaviour. A record 75,760 infections were ded in a day taking total coronavirus caselo to 33,10,234 in country. death toll climbed to 60,472 with 1,023 fatalities being reported in 24 hours, health ministry data updated at 8 am on Thursday showed.

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