New Delhi: India's COVID-19 caseload has been rising rapidly and Maharashtra and Punjab are the two states where the highest number of daily cases of coronavirus infection have been reported since last fortnight. This information has been received from official documents.
In the documents presented by the Union Health Ministry in the Cabinet Secretary's meeting with all the states and union territories, it was stated that these two states are among the five states and union territories which have reported more than their old peak number of daily cases. The other states and union territories also include Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat.
Situation serious in 11 states
In Maharashtra, in the last seven days till March 23, the growth rate of new cases daily was 3.6 percent and in Punjab, it was 3.2 percent. In Maharashtra, 4,26,108 cases have been reported in the two weeks before March 31 while in Punjab 35,754 cases have been reported in the same period. At the same time, in these two weeks till March 31, 60 per cent of the patients who died due to COVID-19 in the country were from Maharashtra and Punjab. According to the Health Ministry, 11 states - Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Haryana are among the states with 'serious worrisome' status due to new cases and high mortality. 90% of the cases of COVID-19 have been reported from these states in 14 days till March 31 and 90.5% of people have died.
70% of the test is through RT-PCR
These states have been asked to increase the testing and ensure the infection rate to be five percent or below. States have been advised to conduct 70 percent tests through RT-PCR and give the results as soon as possible. At the same time, states have been advised to strengthen public and private health care facilities to prevent the death of patients. States and Union Territories have been asked to ensure 100% vaccination of those eligible for vaccination on time and to coordinate with the Union Ministry of Health to keep adequate vaccine doses.
