Central teams comprising public health specialists will be sent to Maharashtra, Punjab and Chhattisgarh because of the high number of fresh daily cases and the disproportionate number of deaths, the Prime Minister's office said at the end of a meeting on the ongoing Covid surge in 10 states.
The Prime Minister had chaired the meet, which was attended by all senior officers -- including the Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary. In a statement, the PM's Office said the reasons for the sharp rise in cases could be the severe laxity in maintaining Covid-appropriate behaviour - especially the use of masks and social distancing.
While the exact "contribution of mutant strains in the surge in some states remains speculative", the measures to control the pandemic remain the same", read the statement.