Amid spike in Covid cases, Centre asks Karnataka to focus on testing

In a letter written by health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, he predicted that the upcoming festival seasons in the states might lead to mass gatherings and it can lead to the spike in the number

As the number of coronavirus cases has seen a sharp rise in recent times, the central government asked Karnataka and six other states to focus on testing and promoting Covid-appropriate behavior. The Centre also asked the state governments to increase the pace of vaccinations to control the numbers.

(HT FILE PHOTO)

In a letter written by health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, he predicted that the upcoming festival seasons in the states might lead to mass gatherings and it can lead to the spike in the number. He also warned that these mass gatherings can play a major role in spreading the virus.

In his letter to Karnataka principal secretary for health TK Anil Kumar, Bhushan wrote the state is reporting high average daily new cases for the past month. Karnataka is reporting 1,355 cases on a daily average for last month, and on August 5, the state reported 1,992 cases. The state has also contributed 10.1 per cent of India’s weekly Covid cases in the last week.

Apart from Karnataka, the central government has also asked Delhi, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Telangana to focus on bringing down the number of Covid cases in their respective states.

He also requested states to ensure effective compliance of the revised surveillance strategy for Covid-19 which has been shared by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.