Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Thursday reviewed the measures being taken by the governments in Kerala and Maharashtra for checking the spread of COVID-19.
During the meeting held via video conferencing, Mr. Bhalla said the State governments should continue with their vaccination programmes and in case they required more vaccines, the same would be provided to the extent possible.
“However, efforts must be made to consume the vaccine doses received,” said a Ministry of Home Affairs statement.
Mr. Bhalla observed that more efforts would be required to arrest the increase in infections. “This would require adequate intervention in geographical areas having higher infection, through measures such as contact tracing, vaccination drives and COVID-appropriate behavior,” he said. The State governments should explore the possibility of placing night curfew in the areas having high positivity.
“Events with the potential of having mass gatherings during the coming festive season must be avoided... testing must be ramped up in areas in the two States where positivity rates are being found to be on the higher side. Focus should also be placed over the next few months to suppress the levels of transmission of the virus,” said the Ministry.
The meeting was attended by senior government functionaries, including the NITI Aayog Member (Health), the Union Health Secretary and the Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police of Kerala and Maharashtra.
