New Delhi: In response to an increase in reported instances of Covid, the central government on Friday directed eight states, including Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, to keep a close eye on the situation and act swiftly to prevent the disease from spreading further.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote to the states of Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Haryana, and Delhi to stress that Covid is far from over and to avoid becoming complacent, as doing so could undo the progress made in managing the pandemic so far.
Since March, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the country has steadily increased, with 10,262 cases reported for the week ending April 20. Similarly, Bhushan reports that the national positivity rate increased from 4.7% in the week preceding April 19 to 5.5% in the week ending April 19.—Inputs from Agencies