Districts with over 10% positivity or 60% bed occupancy liable for intensive actions, Centre tells states

NEW DELHI: Amid the explosive rise in Covid-19 cases across India, the Centre on Sunday asked states to take “intensive action” in districts reporting test positivity rate of over 10 % and ICU and oxygen bed occupancy of over 60 % through restrictive measures such as night curfew and limiting intermingling of people.

The government also said that in such areas, all offices, both government and private, should function with a maximum staff strength of 50%.

The existing infrastructure may not be able to cope with this kind of surge, said the central advisory to states.

“On account of a very high number of daily new Covid cases being reported for the past few days, the Union government has expressed the urgent need for states to consider strict COVID management and control measures in surge areas to bring the situation under control to contain the spread of infection in areas reporting higher cases and surge,” said the Centre in a statement.

The local containment will essentially focus on three strategic areas of intervention, which include containment, clinical management, and community engagement, said the Union ministry of health and family welfare

Identification of areas for local containment should be a dynamic exercise aiming to break and suppress the chain of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and save precious lives in areas reporting higher surge in cases and deaths and exhibiting overstretched healthcare systems, it added.

It was pointed to the states that a daily status report should be submitted to the state government by the District and the consolidated report at the state level may also be sent to the Centre.

The advisory stresses that such districts should coordinate availability of oxygen, other related logistics, drugs in collaboration with state officials and ensure their rational use while oxygen therapy for the admitted cases shall follow the guidelines issued by the Centre on the rational use of oxygen.

The directive asks states to analyse the requirement of health infrastructure so as to manage the present and projected cases for next one month and initiative necessary to ensure sufficient oxygen-supported beds, ICU beds, ventilators, ambulances including creation of makeshift hospitals, as needed.