Centre rushes high-level teams to Punjab, Chandigarh amid rapid surge in Covid cases

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 6

As India overtook Brazil to become the world’s second-most COVID-affected nation, the government drew out a plan to help states contain the disease.

The Ministry of Health has rushed Central teams to Punjab and UT of Chandigarh, which have been witnessing a recent case surge and high mortality.

The high-level teams will assist in strengthening public health measures for containment, surveillance, testing and efficient clinical management of COVID patients with the aim to reduce mortality and save lives.

They will also guide in effectively addressing the challenges related to timely diagnosis and follow-up.

The two-member teams will comprise of a Community Medicine expert from PGIMER, Chandigarh and an epidemiologist from NCDC.

These teams shall be stationed in the state and UT for ten days to provide extended guidance in managing COVID.

Punjab has reported a total of 60,013 cases, whereas it has 15,731 active cases on date.

It has registered 1739 deaths. The testing per million figure for the state is 37,546 (India’s average figure is 34,593.1 at present).

With 4.97 per cent, it hovers at the lower spectrum of cumulative positivity.

Chandigarh is reporting 2095 active cases, whereas its cumulative cases stand at 5268. Testing per million and cumulative positivity stand at 38054 and 11.99 per cent, respectively.

The Centre is actively supporting the states that are seeing a sudden surge in the number of COVID cases and those that are reporting high mortality by deputing multi-sectoral Central teams. The aim is to reduce overall case mortality to less than 1 pc.

India’s COVID-19 load today crossed 41 lakh with a record 90,632 daily infections.

As many as 31,80,865 people have recovered, taking the national recovery rate to 77.32 per cent.

But the total load of 41,13,811 with 70,626 deaths (1,065 in 24 hours) has the Centre worried.