NEW DELHI: Following a high-level meeting to review the Covid-19 situation and the vaccination programme in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed healthcare teams to rush to the states of Maharashtra, Punjab and Chhattisgarh in view of the rising number of new infections and deaths.
PM Modi has instructed that central teams consisting of public health specialists and clinicians be sent to the three states because of the disproportionate number of deaths being reported there.
India recorded 93,249 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, with which its overall caseload soared to 1,24,85,509. Meanwhile, with 513 new deaths, the death toll surged to 1,64,623. Eight states, including Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, account for 80.96 per cent of the 93,249 Covid-19 cases recorded in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry.
The PM also stated that a special campaign for Covid appropriate behaviour with emphasis on 100% mask usage, personal hygiene and sanitation at public places /workplaces and health facilities will be organised from 6th April to 14 April 2021.
"For sustainable COVID-19 management, awareness of community and its involvement is paramount and there is a need to continue Jan Bhagidari and Jan Andolan for COVID-19 management," said Modi.
The Prime Minister especially highlighted the need to ensure effective implementation of containment measures, besides the involvement of community volunteers in active case search and management of containment zones. He exhorted that all states need to take required stringent measures with comprehensive restrictions in places witnessing high surge to curb the spread.
It was emphasized that the reasons for the sharper rise in cases could be mainly attributed to the severe decline in compliance of Covid-appropriate behaviour primarily in terms of use of masks and maintaining social distance, pandemic fatigue and lack of effective implementation of containment measures at the field level.
PM mentioned that the five-fold strategy of testing, tracing, treatment, Covid-appropriate behaviour and Vaccination if implemented with utmost seriousness and commitment would be effective in curbing the spread of the pandemic.
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