AMN / WEB DESK
Following reports of surge in COVID-19 cases in some parts of the country, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has asked all States and Union Territories not to lower their guard, enforce COVID Appropriate Behaviour and deal firmly with violations.
He reiterated that states need to maintain a continued rigorous vigil in terms of containing the spread and not squander away the gains of the collective hard work of the last year.
The Cabinet Secretary yesterday held separate review meetings with Chief Secretaries of Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Telangana and Jammu-Kashmir.
These States and Union Territories have been reporting a high active caseload or an increasing trend in new cases in the last week.
During a review meeting, it was strongly stressed that they need to follow effective surveillance strategies in respect of potential super spreading events.
The need for effective testing, comprehensive tracking, prompt isolation of positive cases and quick quarantine of close contacts were also strongly emphasized.
The Chief Secretaries informed about the enforcement of COVID Appropriate Behavior by levying heavy fines and challans.
In the meeting, a detailed presentation was made on the current status of COVID-19 in these states with a focus on districts reporting increasing number of new cases, increasing trend in positivity and having a concerning testing trend.