Coronavirus: Union Cabinet Secretary reviews situation with Andhra Pradesh officials

Amaravati: The Union Cabinet Secretary held a video conference with the Chief Secretaries and Health Secretaries of nine states and one Union Territory including Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh officials explained the measures taken to step up testing, tracing and isolating the patients and the government's long term plans to enhance medicare facilities in the state in the wake of Covid-19.

The video conference was held to review and discuss the Covid management and response strategy in these states/UTs.

Union Health Secretary made a detailed presentation on the current status of pandemic in these states/UTs, with a focus on districts reporting high case fatality and the need to refine as well as strengthen approach and strategies relating to testing, contact tracing, surveillance, containment, home isolation, availability of ambulances, hospital beds, oxygen, treatment protocols, etc.

It was observed that out of the total deaths in the country in the last two weeks, 89 per cent of deaths are in these 10 states/UTs and hence, they needed to continue their rigorous vigil so as to contain the spread of infection as well as take steps to reduce fatalities.

The states/UTs were advised to proactively take steps towards reducing case fatality to less than 1 per cent across all districts focusing on containment, contact tracing and surveillance, tracing and testing of new contacts within 72 hours, ensuring a minimum of 140 tests per million per day in all districts while targeting and ensuring timely admission to healthcare facility if SPO2 level falls below the designated level among other things.