Start door-to-door tracking of covid symptomatic patients: Centre's order to UP, Chhattisgarh

Both the states have been asked to ensure 100 per cent vaccination immediately, especially in areas reporting a sudden surge in the number of cases.

The Centre on Friday asked the Uttar Pradesh and the Chhattisgarh governments to go all out in tracking Covid-19 cases, as these two states apart from Maharashtra are on the tipping point, recording an unprecedented surge in the number of infections in the last few weeks. Reiterating the five-fold strategy of 'test-track-Covid appropriate behaviour, vaccination', the Centre asked these two states to deploy volunteers, retired doctors, nurses to augment the strength of the health workforce as house-to-house tracing of symptomatic patients are the need of the hour.

The traders' association at Hazratganj in Lucknow closed their shops voluntarily as the number of Covid-19 cases are rising. (Photo by Deepak Gupta/Hindustan Times)

Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla and Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting with the chief secretaries of both Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and the issue of oxygen shortage was also discussed at the meeting.

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Assuring the states that their demand for oxygen and ventilators will be met soon, the Centre said the states need to augments their vaccination drive, especially in areas where the number of cases has suddenly become high.

Uttar Pradesh on Friday reported 27,426 fresh Covid-19 cases, the highest single-day surge, becoming the second state in the country, which is contributing the highest number of daily cases, after Maharashtra.

According to Union health ministry data, Chhattisgarh has reported a nearly 6.2 per cent increase in weekly new Covid-19 cases based on a seven-day moving average. A total of 22 districts in Chhattisgarh have crossed their reported highest cases in the last 30 days, including Raipur, Durg, Rajnandgaon and Bilaspur.

Uttar Pradesh, on the other hand, reported a growth rate of 19.25 per cent in daily new cases and 46 districts in the states have reported their highest spike in the last 30 days.

While Maharashtra was reporting a spike since February, the situation was under control for the rest of the states. But in the last few weeks, states which were not majorly affected by the first wave of the pandemic witnessed a sudden surge in the number of cases and the situation spiralled quickly for Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh. In the wake of the unprecedented spread of the infection, both states have announced local lockdown measures.