Amid Omicron scare, Centre directs states & UTs to closely monitor 27 districts

Considering a rise in COVID-19 cases in India, the Centre has directed the states and Union Territories to emphasize upon the district level measures to curb the spread of the virus. This comes as 27 districts across states and UTs have been recording increase in number of COVID-19 cases for the past two weeks. In a letter addressed to chief secretaries and administrators of the states and Union Territories, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan asked the officials to stress upon the strategic containment rules in identified areas. 

According to the letter, some of the containment measures including night curfews, restricting gathering of people, congregation, and curtailing attendees in marriages and funerals must be imposed in regions where Coronavirus infection has been on the rise. 

In the letter, Bhushan infomred, "Eight districts in three states have been reporting more than 10 per cent positive rates in the past two weeks. Further, 19 districts in seven states/UTs have been reporting positivity rates between 5 per cent and 10 per cent in the past two weeks. Thus, these 27 districts need to be monitored very closely".

It added that 27 districts must be closely monitored with testing and surveillance interventions including ramping up testing and active case search, testing of all ILI and SARI cases through Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT), and retesting by RTPCR of symptomatic RAT negative tests. Also, COVID appropriate behaviour must be followed at all the public places at all times and the same must be monitored by the officials. 

And to further gain community involvement and support, adequate advance information must be provided to the community highlighting the need for stringent containment actions as mandated in the framework issued by MoHFW. 

COVID-19 situation in India

As of December 11, India reported 7,992 fresh COVID-19 cases with 9,265 recoveries and 393 deaths in the last 24 hours. 

According to data provided by the Union Health Ministry, the country's active caseload currently stands at 93,277, the lowest in 559 days. The active caseload accounts for less than 1%, which is currently at 0.27%, the lowest since March 2020. 

To date, the country has administered 131.99 crores COVID-19 vaccine doses under the nationwide vaccination drive.

(Image: PTI/SHUTTERSTOCK)