UnionHealth Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Saturday chaired a high-level review meetingwith Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and Secretaries of 12states, Municipal Commissioners and District Collectors of 46 districts mostaffected by rising cases and rising mortality because of Covid-19.
The12 states include Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh,Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Punjab andBihar.
DrV.K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, was also present during the reviewmeeting.
Througha detailed presentation, the states were informed that the country has seen thesharpest rise in weekly Covid cases and fatalities since May 2020 (7.7% and5.1% respectively).
Thefocus was on 46 districts that have contributed 71% of the cases and 69% ofdeaths this month. Of the total 36 districts in Maharashtra, 25 are mostaffected that account for 59.8% of cases reported in the country during thepast one week.
Agranular analysis of affected districts in these States and UTs along with somekey statistics was presented.
Almost90% of the Covid-19 deaths continue to be in the category of those aged above45 years. Findings of studies were highlighted which depicted that while 90%people are aware, only 44% actually wear face masks.
Oneinfected person could spread Covid-19 to an average of 406 other individuals ina 30-day window without restrictions which could be reduced to just 15 bydecreasing physical exposure to 50% and to a further 2.5 (average) bydecreasing physical exposure to 75%.
Itwas also highlighted that the concept of 'second wave' reflected more thelaxity among everyone regarding Covid-appropriate behaviour and Covidcontainment and management strategy at the ground level.
Hencestringent action including effective containment and contact tracing for atleast 14 successive days in the 46 districts was strongly recommended forbreaking the chain of transmission and not frittering away the gains ofcollaborative efforts of last year.
Afive-fold strategy was laid out for adoption by the States and UTs foreffective containment and management of the Covid pandemic, which includesexponential increase in testing, effective isolation and contact tracing,re-invigoration of public and private healthcare resources, ensuring ofCovid-appropriate behaviour and targeted approach to vaccination in districtsreporting large numbers.
Stateswere asked to focus on universalisation of vaccination in the specifiedpriority population age groups as an aid to containment strategy in districtswhere maximum cases are being reported.
Itwas reiterated that there is no shortage of vaccines. States must optimallyutilise all vaccination capacities within the public and private sectors in alldistricts, and make full use of the available vaccine stocks without keeping abuffer stock in anticipation of a shortage.
Thefour depots at Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and Karnal have the requisite bufferstocks and all requirements of states, based on their daily consumption andavailable stocks, are being met.
Stateswere also asked to make advance planning of logistics and infrastructuremanagement for 1-1.5 months as any unchecked spread of infection among thecommunity may overwhelm the local administration.
Re-appropriationof unused vaccine stocks in a district to focus on the high burden districtswas also suggested.