New Delhi (NVI): The Union Health Ministry today informed that ten districts across India have been identified as having the most number of active coronavirus cases and eight districts alone are concentrated in Maharashtra.
Addressing a healthy ministry briefing, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, “There are 10 districts across the country that have the most number of active cases – Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Thane, Nashik, Aurangabad, Bengaluru Urban, Nanded, Delhi and Ahmednagar.”
He pointed out that eight of the top 10 districts with active COVID-19 cases are alone in Maharashtra and one each in Delhi and Bengaluru.
The Health Ministry in its briefing also asked the respective state governments to increase the number of tests in order to curb the spread of the virus.
In this regard, the Health Secretary said, “We spoke to representatives of these states. and told them why are they not increasing testing when cases are increasing. It’s essential to increase testing with focus on RT-PCR tests. Rapid Antigen tests be used for screening tests in densely populated areas.”
Bhushan also said that while the weekly national average positivity rate is 5.65 per cent, Maharashtra has a weekly average of 23 per cent, Punjab has a weekly average of 8.82 per cent, Chhattisgarh 8 per cent, Madhya Pradesh 7.82 per cent, Tamil Nadu 2.50 per cent, Karnataka 2.45 per cent, Gujarat 2.2 per cent and Delhi 2.04 per cent.
He further said that most of these states are not isolating COVID-19 positive patients.
“People are being told to isolate at home. But it’s to be monitored if they’re actually doing it. If they can’t, they must be quarantined institutionally. Delhi was able to bring numbers under control through it,” Bhushan added.
During the briefing, NITI Aayog (health) member VK Paul also stated the coronavirus situation is going from bad to worse and the whole country is potentially at risk.
“We are facing an increasingly severe and intensive situation in some districts but the whole country is potentially at risk. All efforts to contain the virus and save lives should be taken,” he said.
-RJV
