The Union Health Ministry has sent letters to Odisha, Assam, Tripura and Sikkim, pointing to a rise in COVID-19 cases despite a decline in the national curve. It directed them to take measures such as improving containment measures and ramping up testing, vaccination and emphasising pandemic appropriate behaviour.
The letter, signed by Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, to the State Chief Secretaries is common in format except for the details on the caseloads. In Odisha, five districts (Baleshwar, Cuttack, Jagatsinghapur, Kendrapara and Khorda) had shown an increase in cases over the previous week. The Odisha Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) was less than 0.46%, but there was an increase in deaths over the past two weeks. Three districts had reported a test positivity greater than 10%.
In Tripura, there was a 11% increase in the number of weekly new cases, with 2,814 cases reported in the week 28th June-4th July. All 8 districts reported more than 100 new cases over the previous week. Four out of eight districts had reported a test positivity rate exceeding 10%.
Sikkim had a weekly positivity rate of 18.7% and was consistently over 15% over the last four weeks. There was a 25% increase in the weekly new cases over the previous week.
In Assam, 4 out of 33 districts were showing an increase in the weekly new cases and 29 out of 33 districts had reported over 100 new cases. Two out of 33 districts had shown a positivity rate of over 10%.
On Tuesday, Balram Bhargava, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said at a press conference that 73 districts were clocking over 10% positivity and that this was a cause of worry. “We have to be careful, responsible and cautious—the 2nd wave is still on in some parts of this large country,” he stated.
