More Covid curbs possible in Kerala as Centre suggests robust measures

By Express News Service
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Stricter curbs are imminent within the state because the Centre has steered robust measures to be adopted to limit journey and stop crowding and mingling of individuals in districts with Covid Test Positivity Rate (TPR) above 10%. A directive to this impact was issued within the wake of a gathering chaired by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan to evaluate the Covid scenario within the nation’s 10 worst Covid-hit states, together with Kerala. 

Following the assembly, the Centre has issued as detailed set of pointers for Covid administration. The Union Health Secretary directed state authorities to make sure that all pointless journey must be averted and to discourage all varieties of gatherings that contain numerous folks.  

Worst-hit states have been urged to finish vaccination in districts with TPR of above 10% and in addition concentrate on different districts as properly. The Centre additionally directed the states to successfully plan their vaccination schedules and warranted ample provide of vaccines. 

The Union Health Secretary additionally requested states to step up Covid testing and to conduct state-level sero-prevalence survey. This would allow assortment of district-level sero-prevalence knowledge. The worst-hit states must also direct non-public hospitals to arrange oxygen crops by invoking provisions of the Clinical Establishment Act. 

The Centre additionally directed states together with Kerala to step up vaccination for folks above the age of 45 as 80% of the Covid deaths are reported from folks on this age group. Since 80% of the Covid instances in these states are beneath residence isolation, strict monitoring of such folks must be carried out, the Centre directed. 

For managing Covid instances in hospitals, an in depth Standard Operating Procedure has already been issued to the states. States have additionally been directed to topic travellers from overseas to checks in labs beneath the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium community in order that new strains of viruses will be simply recognized. The Centre has additionally taken inventory of Covid vaccination protection in worst-hit states.

Centre’s directives

Enforce strict management and surveillance in clusters that report numerous casesDecide containment zones on the premise of route map and make contact with tracing of Covid patientsTake steps to extend well being infrastructure in rural areas particularly to deal with paediatric instances Report Covid deaths on the premise of pointers issued by Indian Council of Medical Research