Union Home Secretary chaired a meeting here today through video conferencing to review the steps taken by the State Governments of Kerala and Maharashtra for checking the spread of COVID-19.

During the meeting, the overall management of COVID-19 situation in Kerala and Maharashtra was discussed. Union Home Secretary reviewedthe efforts being made by the state governments to contain the spread of infectionsand observed that more efforts would be required to arrest the increase in infections. This would require adequate intervention in geographical areas having higher infection, through measures such as contact tracing, vaccination drives and COVID appropriate behavior. He also suggested that the state governments should explore the possibility of placing night curfew in areas of high positivity.

The state governments were advised that they should continue with their vaccination programmes and incase they required more vaccines, the same would be provided to the extent possible. However, efforts must be made to consume the vaccine doses received. It was also emphasized that along with vaccination COVID appropriate behavior must also continue to be encouraged and events with potential of having mass gatherings during the coming festive season must be avoided. It was also advised that testing must be ramped up in areas in the two states where positivity rates are being found to be on the higher side. Focus should also be placed over the next few months to suppress the levels of transmission of the virus so that the chain of transmission can be controlled more effectively.

          The meeting was attended by Dr. V.K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog; Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI; Director, National Centre for Communicable Disease (NCDC)and Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police of Kerala and Maharashtra.

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NDW/RK//AY/RR