Covid surge: Centre rushes teams to Maharashtra, Punjab

The teams have been tasked with visiting the hotspot areas in the states and ascertain reasons for the surge. 

The Centre has rushed multi-disciplinary teams to Maharashtra and Punjab as the number of daily cases in these states continues to surge.
 

The teams have been tasked with visiting the hotspot areas in the states and ascertain reasons for the surge. They will also brief the Chief Secretary or Home Secretary on their observations and remedial measures to be undertaken by the state health authorities.
 

Maharashtra and Punjab, along with Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, cumulatively account for 82 per cent of the new cases in the past 24 hours. Maharashtra reported the highest daily new cases at 10,216. It is followed by Kerala with 2,776 while Punjab reported 808 new cases.

Meanwhile, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Union Territories of Delhi and Chandigarh have been advised to continue with the effective strategy of test, track and treat.
 

Central officials have suggested overall improvement in testing in districts reporting a reduction in testing and increasing focus on surveillance and stringent containment of those areas in selected districts that are seeing a cluster of cases.
 

The states have also been told to improve health infrastructure, be on alert for super-spreading events and share best practices in breaking the chain of transmission. A special emphasis has been given on prompt isolation and medical supervision of those active cases presently in home isolation.