Centre deploys high-level COVID teams to five states monitor COVID-19 situation

New Delhi, October 16: In a bid to strengthen the efforts of various states for Covid-19 management amid the surge in the number of new Covid-19 cases, the Centre deputed high-level teams to Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal to support them in management of the disease.

 

 

According to the health ministry, each team comprises a Joint Secretary (nodal officer for the respective state), one public health expert to looking after the public health aspects, one clinician to look after infection prevention practices, and clinical management protocol being followed by the state.

 

Union Health Ministry said the teams will support the state efforts towards strengthening containment, surveillance, testing, infection prevention and control measures, and efficient clinical management of the positive cases. The Central teams will also guide in effectively managing the challenges related to timely diagnosis and follow up.

 

The team will not only monitor the situation but it will support the states' efforts towards strengthening containment, surveillance, testing, infection prevention and control measures, and efficient clinical management of the positive cases. It will also guide in effectively managing the challenges related to timely diagnosis and follow up.

 

These teams interact with the State/UT authorities and get a first-hand understanding of the challenges and issues being faced by them so as to strengthen their ongoing activities and remove bottlenecks if any, the ministry added.

 

Currently, Karnataka has 1,13,557 active Covid-19 cases, followed by Kerala (94,609), West Bengal (31,984), Chhattisgarh (31,984), and Rajasthan (21587).

 

However, the country is witnessing a gradual trend of declining average daily COVID cases over the past five weeks. The tally of daily new cases has recorded a downturn with the figures coming down from almost 90 thousand daily cases a month back to only around 63 thousand new cases being reported in the last 24 hours.