Sixteen districts in four States — Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana — are a cause of concern, said the Union Health Ministry on Friday, after confirming that these areas were reporting coronavirus (COVID-19) mortality higher than the national and States’ average.
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
Positivity and mortality rates are low in State, says CM
Health technician analyzing samples collected at a COVID19 Rapid testing camp at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital in Hyderabad on August 7, 2020
| Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that though the COVID-19 positivity and mortality rates in the State are below the national averages, the government is carrying out the tests extensively, particularly in the containment clusters, to curb the menace.
Four-day serological survey from Aug. 17
More than 21,000 IgG ELISA tests will be conducted across Haryana, 960 in each district, as part of a four-day serological survey from August 17 to understand the proportion of population exposed to the novel coronavirus infection. The survey will be conducted in collaboration with Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh.
Floods deal a blow to COVID-19 containment efforts
People living near the banks of Periyar River in Eloor shifting to safer destinations after heavy rains resulted in flooding along low lying areas in Ernakulam. | Photo Credit: Vibhu H.
With the number of COVID-19 cases in Kochi rising consistently over the past few weeks, the heavy rain and consequent flooding could complicate the district’s efforts to contain the virus, besides leading to several monsoon-related diseases.
Additional District Medical Officer Dr. S. Sreedevi said that the protocol in the State Disaster Management Authority’s orange book would have to be adhered to strictly. “We will have to be careful. When we say COVID protocol must be followed during rescue operations and in relief camps, that could also be difficult to do in this situation,” she said.
e-pass system cannot be abolished, says CM
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Friday made it clear that the e-pass system for inter-district and inter-State movement during the pandemic cannot be abolished.
A day after Opposition leader M.K. Stalin demanded the abolition of the system, Mr. Palaniswami told journalists in Tirunelveli that since people from other States and abroad were coming in, restriction on movement was needed to arrest the spread of COVID-19. Hence, a stricter e-pass system was being implemented.