The Union health ministry, on Friday, has written to Kerala, which has been witnessing a high number of COVID-19 cases, and Maharashtra, asking them to ensure there is no laxity in strict adherence to the five-fold strategy of ‘test-track-treat-vaccinate and ensuring COVID appropriate behaviour’.
In a letter to Kerala chief secretary, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said the state has witnessed a "sustained and significant transmission of COVID- 19 since July 2021."
He pointed out that Kerala remains the one of the top contributors to daily new cases, with the state recording more than half the active cases of COVID- 19 in the country despite the efforts by the state government to increase testing.
"All 14 districts in Kerala have been identified as districts of concern due to high test positivity rates and high case per million reported in the past four weeks. Further, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Ernakulam have reported more than 4,000 cases per million population in the week ending 25th August, 2021," the letter read.
Considering the recent sharp increase in the number of cases, deaths and the test positivity rate after the Onam festivities and the likelihood of this trend continuing for a few more days, the health ministry asked the state to define containment zones as per guidelines, with a special focus on the high transmission clusters. Such zones need to be re-defined if the proportion of cases being reported outside of containment zones is showing an increase, the letter said.
Other suggestions include identification of buffer zones around containment zones, scaling up of contract tracing, ensuring strict adherence to home isolation guidelines and strict enforcement of COVID-appropriate behaviour. The state has also been asked to avoid mass gatherings, and increase testing.
The state should ensure enhanced genomic surveillance in areas of high and sustained transmission, and samples of all cases of vaccine breakthrough infections and reinfections need to be sent for genome sequencing positively, the health ministry said.
There should be a state-specific strategy to complete the second dose vaccination of due beneficiaries, the Centre said.
"I would like to reiterate that any laxity in ensuring strict adherence to the five-fold strategy of ‘test-track-treat-vaccinate and ensuring COVID appropriate behaviour’, may result in further surge in COVID-19 transmission in Kerala and its neighboring states. I am hopeful that with your proactive support and leadership we will be able to halt the surge of cases and prevent any future resurgences," the letter read.
In his letter to Maharashtra chief secretary Sitaram Kunte, the health secretary appreciated the efforts of the state to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, he observed that despite the decline in daily cases, some districts in the state are showing early signs of upsurge in cases and test positivity.
"In this regard, directions issued under Disaster Management Act, 2005 by MHA vide letter no. 40-3/2020-DM-I(A) dated 29th June, 2021 for focussed containment measures may kindly be referred to. In light of this order, and in view of mass events and public gathering expected during celebration of upcoming festivals (including Dahi Handi and Ganpati Utsav) in Maharashtra, it is advised that the state may consider imposing and enforcing local restrictions in public observation of these festivals and mass gatherings," the letter read.
