Centre asks 9 states to follow Test-Track-Treat strategy

In view of the increasing cases of daily Covid cases, the Union Health Secretary Shri Rajesh Bhushan and Dr. Vinod K. Paul, Member of NITI Aayog held a meeting today with the MDs (NHM) and Health Secretaries of 8 states to review the ongoing Public health measures of surveillance, containment and management of high active caseload reported in these states/UTs.

According to a report from PIB it was pointed out that 9 districts in Delhi, 15 in Haryana, 10 in Andhra Pradesh, 10 in Odisha, 9 in Himachal Pradesh, 7 in Uttarakhand, 2 in Goa, 1 in Chandigarh continue to be of concern as these districts are seeing a decrease in total tests being conducted, low share of RT-PCR tests, increase in weekly positivity and low number of contact tracing of the COVID positive cases.

States were specifically asked to:

Continue with the effective strategy of ‘Test Track & Treat’ that had yielded rich dividends at the height of the pandemic.
Improve overall testing in districts reporting reduction in testing
Increase share of RT-PCR tests in districts dependent on high levels of antigen testing.
Refocus on surveillance and stringent containment of those areas in selected districts which are seeing cluster of cases.
Carry out an average close contact tracing of minimum of 20 persons per positive case.
Focus on clinical management in districts reporting higher deaths.
Actuate their health infrastructure to provide effective clinical management to all the patients as a surge in cases also affects the case fatality rate in those districts.
Accelerate vaccination for priority population groups in districts reporting higher cases.
Make optimal use of the available vaccine doses and focus on critical districts.
To collaborate with the private hospitals to open up vaccination time-table for a minimum of 15 days and maximum of 28 days at a time.
Promote COVID-appropriate behaviour through communication and enforcement.