Next three months crucial in Covid-19 fight, Harsh Vardhan tells UP officials

Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said Friday that the next three months are going to be decisive in determining the situation of Covid-19 in the country and

Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said Friday that the next three months are going to be decisive in determining the situation of Covid-19 in the country and all precautions must continue to the battle against the pandemic. He was interacting with officials of Uttar Pradesh during a video conferencing meeting to review Covid-19 preparedness and measures for ensuring Covid appropriate behaviour.

HT Image

The minister also reviewed the status of 20 districts in Uttar Pradesh that had recorded an increase in Covid cases and/or increase in the number of Covid deaths. Officials present during the video conferencing said the minister also posed questions to officials of Gautam Budh Nagar district, which has seen a rise in Covid deaths.

According to the state control room records, the Gautam Budh Nagar district had 53 Covid deaths as on September 30, which later more than doubled to 66, as on October 22.

“When the minister pointed out that he had certain figures based on a formula, we immediately apprised him that the case fatality rate in the district has remained at .4% for the past several months and is continuing at the same rate currently. He accepted our point of view. He additionally told officials that there should be no complacency and there has to be constant monitoring of patients, including those having no symptoms. He also told us that all precautions must continue,” said Suhas LY, district magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar.

The officials of Ghaziabad health department also took part in the video conferencing.

“The minister told us that the methodology of testing, tracing and treatment should continue and more precautions have to be put in place in view of the festival season. He also talked about the age groups that are seeing a higher number of fatalities. Further, he also stated that any gatherings at local level should be allowed only after the local police station provides permission. Otherwise, strict enforcement measures should be initiated,” said an official from the Ghaziabad health department, wishing not to be named.

According to records of the state health department, the number of active cases has been on the decline since September 17 when the cases peaked at 68,235 active cases. It reduced to 29,131 as on October 22. The state has a discharge rate of 92.47% till October 22, officials told the Union minister.

Dr Harsh Vardhan stressed that the Uttar Pradesh needs to focus on increasing testing, surveillance, contact tracing, and early diagnosis to keep the fatality rate low. He appreciated the efforts of the state in vaccinating children left out of immunisation cycle due to coronavirus situation.

“Appropriate measures are being taken to combat Covid-19. But the next three months are going to be decisive in determining the situation of Covid in the country. If we take adequate precautions and follow Covid appropriate behaviour in the coming festival and winter season, we will be in a better position to fight Covid-19,” the minister said.

He further said for a big state such as Uttar Pradesh, it becomes important that the maximum thrust is given to simple precautionary measures which are effective in preventing the Covid-19 to a large extent such as wearing mask/face cover especially in public spaces, and following hand and respiratory etiquettes.

He added that from recording over 95,000 cases in a day, the country has reached a point where it is seeing less than 50,000 cases a day while the national recovery rate is nearing 90%. The case fatality rate is at 1.51% and is moving towards the target of less than 1%.