New Delhi: The Centre has deputed multi-disciplinary teams to states witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases, including Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir, to support them in effectively tackling the pandemic.
The three-member multidisciplinary teams are headed by Joint Secretary-level officers in the Health ministry, the ministry said.
"These teams will work closely with the states and UT administration and ascertain reasons for the recent surge in the number of COVID-19 cases.
"They will also coordinate with health authorities of the states and UT for requisite COVID-19 control measures to break the chain of transmission," the ministry said.
The central teams have been deputed to Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir.
The states and UT have been advised for regular critical review of the emerging situation with district officials concerned to ensure that gains made so far in COVID-19 management are not lost, the ministry stated.
The Centre has also written to Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir which have been witnessing a rise in daily Covid cases, along with decreasing proportion of RT-PCR tests and rise in positivity in some districts. In the letter, the Union Health Secretary has exhorted Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir to focus on undertaking aggressive measures to break the chain of transmission and to ensure that RT-PCR testing is amplified to flush out hitherto undetected cases from the population.
Meanwhile, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases surged to 1,10,30,176 with 13,742 new infections, while the recoveries went up to 1,07,26,702, according to the ministry data updated on Wednesday. The death toll increased to 1,56,567 with 104 new fatalities.