The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has reiterated that Kerala define containment zones as per GOI guidelines with a focus on high transmission clusters.
It has also sought that contact tracing efforts be further scaled up to ensure that 20-25 contacts per positive cases are identified and quarantined.
Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary, in a letter to V.P. Joy, Chief Secretary, on Friday said these measures were necessary, considering the sharp rise in daily cases, deaths, and test positivity rates after Onam festivities in Kerala, and the likelihood of this continuing for the next few days.
Though the State undertook several measures to contain the transmission of COVID-19, the desired results were yet to materialise, Mr. Bhushan said.
Kerala was now contributing to more than half the active cases reported in the country and all 14 districts in the State were identified as districts of concern due to high test positivity rates and high case per million reported in these past four weeks. Thrissur, Ernakulam and Kozhikode reported more than 4,000 cases over million population in the week ending August 25, he pointed out.
He said that the current positivity rate, which was very high, mandated a further increase in testing and targetted testing needed to be enhanced in containment zones.
Mr. Bhushan also asked Kerala to enhance genomic surveillance in areas of high and sustained disease transmission and that samples of all cases of vaccine breakthrough infections and re-infections be sent for genomic sequencing. Clinico-epidemiological assessment of all such cases needed to be done promptly and the results shared with the National Centre for Disease Control.
Most importantly, Mr. Bhushan asked Kerala to draw up a specific strategy to complete the second dose vaccination of beneficiaries.
He pointedly said any laxity in ensuring strict adherence to the five-fold strategy of test-track-treat-vaccinate-ensure COVID-appropriate behaviour could lead to a further surge in transmission, not just in Kerala, but in neighbouring States also.
