New Delhi (NVI): Union Health Ministry today raised concern over the upsurge in coronavirus cases across the country and said 60 per cent all active cases are concentrated in Maharashtra.
Addressing the health ministry briefing, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, “In Maharashtra, 60 per cent of all active COVID-19 cases and 45 per cent of all new deaths are concentrated.”
He added that, “Maharashtra’s COVID-19 positivity rate is also more than 16 per cent which is a matter of concern.”
Bhushan also discussed the deteriorating condition of Punjab in dealing with the virus and that, “Punjab’s positivity rate is now 6.8 per cent which is worrying. This shows that COVID-19 appropriate behaviour is not being followed.”
The health secretary further informed that Karnataka’s case positivity rate is 1.3 per cent. “Our advice to the Karnataka government is to increase the absolute number of tests,” he said.
The health ministry in its briefing also stated that the lowest point of new COVID-19 cases was February 9. “Today, there is a nearly 43 per cent week-on-week increase in new COVID-19 cases and a nearly 37 per cent week on week increase in new deaths,” it said.
It further highlighted that 70 districts in 16 states have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases by 150 per cent in the last 15 days.
“We have requested the states to do more of the same in an efficient manner. More of the same means — Testing, Tracking and Treating,” the health secretary added.
Meanwhile, addressing the issue of vaccine wastage, the ministry informed that India’s overall percentage of COVID-19 vaccine wastage is 6.5 per cent.
In this regard, Bhushan said, “Telangana and Andhra Pradesh recorded 17.6 per cent and 11.6 per cent of vaccine wastage respectively. We have told the states that vaccine wastage needs to be drastically reduced.”
-RJV
