Coronavirus crisis: Centre deploys special teams in 50 districts seeing spike in COVID-19 cases

As India's COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has deployed high level multi-disciplinary central teams to 15 states and UTs with more than 50 districts or municipal bodies witnessing a spurt of COVID-19 cases to facilitate the outbreak management. These states/UTs include Maharashtra (7 districts/municipalities), Telangana (4), Tamil Nadu (7), Rajasthan (5), Assam (6), Haryana (4), Gujarat (3), Karnataka (4), Uttarakhand (3), Madhya Pradesh (5), West Bengal (3), Delhi (3), Bihar (4), Uttar Pradesh (4), and Odisha (5).

The three-member teams comprise two public health experts and a senior joint secretary-level nodal officer for administrative handholding and improving governance. These teams are working on the field and visiting health care facilities to support the state health departments in the implementation of containment measures and efficient treatment/clinical management of cases.

To ensure better coordination, quick action, and adoption of a more granular strategy, districts have been advised to remain in touch with these central teams. The central teams are assisting states/UTs in addressing some challenges including testing bottlenecks, low tests or per million population, high confirmation rates, potential bed shortage, and growing case fatality rate.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 tally in India is not showing any signs of decline, and India is now among the top five most-affected countries in the world. India on Tuesday reported the highest single-day spike of 9,987 new COVID-19 cases and 331 deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases in the country is now at 2,66,598, including 1,29,917 active cases, 1,29,215 cured/discharged/migrated and 7,466 deaths, the latest Ministry of Health and Family Welfare data suggests. The country has seen over 9,000 coronavirus cases for the six consecutive days now.

Also read: Coronavirus crisis: India sees biggest spike of 9,887 new cases, 331 deaths; tally rises to 2.66 lakh

Though 1,29,215 patients have recovered too, new hotspot areas are emerging, thus causing worry for the government. As per the government data, India's 64 per cent of COVID-19 cases have come from 15 districts only, with Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai topping the chart. Maharashtra, which is one of the most-affected states in India, has reported 88,528 cases, including 44,384 active ones and 40,975 recoveries. A total of 3,169 people have died in the state so far. The state has already surpassed China tally.

Delhi is another most affected state, with the state recording 1,007 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total count to 29,943 cases, out of which 11,357 have recovered and 874 have died. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has said that based on the current rate of doubling of infection, Delhi is likely to have 5.5 lakh coronavirus cases by July 31. His comments came after Tuesday's review meeting to discuss community transmission.

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