AMN / NEW DELHI

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan today held a review meeting with the Health Secretaries of five States and One Union Territories through a video conference on the containment and management of COVID in 35 districts.

These 35 districts comprise Kolkata, Howrah, North 24 Parganas and 24 South Parganas in West Bengal, Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, Kolhapur, Sangli, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Raigad, Jalgaon, Solapur, Satara, Palghar, Aurangabad, Dhule and Nanded in Maharashtra, Surat in Gujarat, Pondicherry in Puducherry, East Singhbhum in Jharkhand and all 11 districts in Delhi.

Addressing the participants, Mr Bhushan underscored the need to suppress, curb and eventually break the chain of transmission of the infectious disease by strengthening the active case search focusing on the comorbids and elderly population. He advised them for strengthening the containment measures in the affected areas and scaling up the testing to decrease the positivity rates below five per cent. Mr Bhushan and State Health Secretaries also discussed the detailed roadmaps and action plans for the next one month.

The States and UT were advised to take steps on limiting the spread of the infection by implementing stringent containment measures and following social distancing measures. They have been also advised for effective monitoring of home isolation cases and early hospitalization in case of disease progression.