Health ministry directs states to accelerate the pace of Covid-19 testing

With the spike in Covid and influenza cases across the country, the Central government has directed all the states and union territories to accelerate the pace of Covid-19 testing as a declining trend has been noticed in some states.

It said that Covid-19 and influenza share several similarities in terms of mode of transmission, high-risk population, clinical signs and symptoms, and hence public health measures like avoiding overcrowded and poorly ventilated settings, using handkerchief/tissue while sneezing or coughing, wearing a mask in crowded and closed settings, maintaining hand hygiene, avoiding spitting in public places, etc.

ln order to limit transmission of these diseases, it is important to raise community awareness regarding adherence to respiratory and hand hygiene, particularly in overcrowded and poorly ventilated settings, wearing of masks and hand hygiene and increasing the pace of Covid vaccination.

According to the health ministry, most of the active Covid-19 cases in the country are largely being reported by a few states like Kerala (26.4%), Maharashtra (21.7%), Gujarat (13.9%), Karnataka (8.6%) and Tamil Nadu (6.3%).