States/UTs must follow prescribed guidelines while reporting Covid data: Health ministry

NEW DELHI: The health ministry on Friday said it has regularly emphasised on the need for a robust reporting mechanism to monitor district-wise Covid cases and deaths on a daily basis, two days after Bihar revised its COVID-19 death toll by including 3,951 unreported fatalities.

The COVID-19 death toll in Bihar was on Wednesday revised drastically upwards by the state health department which put the total number of fatalities caused by the pandemic at 9,429.

In a statement, the ministry said states and union territories have been advised to report Covid deaths in accordance with the prescribed guidelines.

This spike in deaths was on account of the 3,971 fatalities reported in Bihar after data reconciliation by the state government, the ministry said.

"States and UTs have been advised repeatedly through formal communications, multiple video conferences and through the deployment of Central teams for the recording of deaths in accordance with laid down guidelines," the ministry said.

The Union government has written to Bihar to provide a detailed date and district-wise break-up of the reconciled number of deaths to the health ministry.