With active COVID-19 cases crossing 4,000 in the country, the Centre will hold mock drills at hospitals on June 5 to check how prepared they are to handle the situation, according to officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
This decision follows a series of technical review meetings held earlier this week by Director General of Health Services, Sunita Sharma, in response to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases.
Sources said that states have been asked to ensure the availability of oxygen, isolation beds, ventilators, and essential medicines. A mock drill to check oxygen supply systems like PSA plants, LMO tanks, and MGPS lines was already carried out on June 2.
As of June 4, India recorded 4,302 active COVID-19 cases, marking an increase of 862 cases in the past 24 hours.
Kerala remains the worst-hit state with 1,373 active cases, followed by Maharashtra with 510 and Gujarat with 461 cases.
On Tuesday, the country reported seven COVID-19 related deaths, including four in Maharashtra and one each in Delhi, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu. Since January 1, a total of 44 deaths have been recorded in India, mainly among people with pre-existing conditions like pneumonia, heart disease, and tuberculosis.
Ministry sources said that most cases are mild and are being treated through home care.
State and district surveillance units are closely tracking influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI). As per guidelines, testing is advised for all hospitalized SARI cases and for 5 percent of ILI cases.
“Positive SARI samples are sent for whole genome sequencing through the ICMR VRDL network,” an official in the know said.
“The public is advised to practice hand hygiene, cough etiquette, while individuals with acute respiratory illness should self-monitor and seek medical care if symptoms worsen,” he said.
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