Nirendra Dev
New Delhi: Around 80 percent of the Covid-19 cases in India at the moment are being witnessed in 90 districts across India and 14 of them are in the northeast.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, July 13, a crucial virtual meeting with all Chief Ministers of northeastern states and called for urgent steps in four states where COVID-19 cases have seen a sharp rise in recent times.
The meeting assumes significance as over three out of every five districts that reported a test positivity rate of over 10 percent over the past week are in the northeast.
Around 80 percent of the Covid-19 cases in India at the moment are being witnessed in 90 districts across India and 14 of them are in the northeast.
"….its true four states need to improve, but others have handled the crisis well with all sensitivity," the Prime Minister said at the virtual meeting also attended by Home Minister Amit Shah.
The national active caseload has lately declined to 4.32 lakh.
Data tracked by the Union Health Ministry showed that of the 58 districts that reported a positivity rate higher than 10 percent between July 5 and July 11, altogether 37 of them are in the northeast.
"The number of COVID-19 cases is rising. We need to take strict action to curb the situation at the micro-level," he said and cited the initiatives taken by newly installed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma whereby general Lockdown was avoided but implementing Covid protocols effectively in 'micro containment zone' has helped the fight against the pandemic.
The Prime Minister said there has been various hurdles and challenges thrown before northeastern states due to geographical factor. "However, the efforts have been good. Testing to vaccination infrastructures have been developed. The reports of maximum utility from these states were satisfactory," he said.
The medical workers specially ought to be congratulated in the region for discharging their duties should be congratulated.
The four states where things need improvement, the Prime Minister said, "I am confident in these states also good works will be carried out".
The four states are Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Sikkim.
On average the number of cases in three other states Assam, Nagaland and Tripura have been less.
"We all aware of the challenges. During and after the second wave, united efforts have been made and the results are now showing," the Prime Minister said, however adding, "in few districts in these northeastern states, the percentage of Covid cases is large and there is still an increase in the trends".
"We have to identify the trends and factors. We need to be more careful and cautions and at the same time, we ought to ensure that people are also made to be cautious," Mr. Modi said.
"In order to stop the pandemic increase its grip, we must undertake steps and make more efforts more strictly," he emphasized.
Mr. Modi said, "We need to keep an eye on COVID variants, experts are studying them. We need to encourage people to follow appropriate behavior".
This pandemic is more often 'changing its behavior' and this has added to the challenges, he said.
He said Assam Chief Minister has told the meeting today that in Assam about 6000 micro containment zones have been created. "This has helped fixing responsibilities as well," the Prime Minister said.
There is also a need to identify 'best practices' being enforced in various states and try to repeat them in other areas for good results.
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