No lowering of guard against Covid-19, L-G tells DDA officials

NEW DELHI:  Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has directed health authorities to continue with the existing strategy against Covid-19, including cluster-based surveillance, testing and genome sequencing, owing to the rise in number of cases in the country, an official said on Friday.

Baijal, who chaired a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), told officials that there is no need to lower the guard against the virus as the pandemic situation is under control with a “marginal increase” in cases, the official said.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Health Minister Satyendar Jain, Chief Secretary Vijay Dev, Niti Aayog member V K Paul among others. “In view of the rising national trends in terms of new infections, it was decided to continue with the existing strategy of cluster-based surveillance, testing and genome sequencing,” an official said.

Earlier this week, the Union Health Ministry had said Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat have shown a surge in Covid-19 cases. At the DDMA meeting on Friday, experts felt that enforcement of Covid-appropriate behaviour and existing levels of RT-PCR testing need to be maintained in the national capital, the official said. Baijal, who is also the DDMA’s chairman, reiterated the need to enhance vaccine coverage by including digitally deficient and poorer sections.