Special focus should be laid on surveillance, contact tracing, sample testing, clinical management and public awareness regarding Covid-19. Stating this, the chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat stressed on the need for maintaining alertness despite the situation being considerably under control. Considering the vigilance observed in the state, it is hoped that the situation will soon be under control. Government personnel in all districts are working in mission mode with constant monitoring from the high level. The experience gained in these four months has enhanced the administrative capabilities, he said.
The CM said on Sunday that Asha and Anganwadi workers are going from home to home collecting information about those with Covid like symptoms. The first round of surveillance has been completed in almost all the districts. In some districts the second round of surveillance is underway while in some the third round is being conducted.
Rawat said on Sunday that compared to the past, there has been considerable improvement in sample testing. At the start of the pandemic the state did not have a single lab to test for Covid but now there are five governmental and two private labs conducting Covid-19 sample tests.
In addition to this, samples are also being sent to NCDC Delhi and PGI Chandigarh for testing. TrueNat machines have been provided to all the districts to facilitate sample testing at the district level too.
All patients with respiratory issues or influenza type symptoms being sent to state hospitals through the flu clinics are also being tested for Covid-19. With 6,408 samples being tested per million people, consistent efforts are being made to increase testing and soon it will be equal to the national average, said the CM. Even now, the sample testing per million in Dehradun and Nainital districts is higher than the national average. The average in Dehradun district is double the national average. Directions have been issued to increase sample testing in other districts too with necessary resources being enhanced for this purpose, said Rawat. Referring to the dedicated Covid care centres, he said that all necessary facilities have been provided in the 325 Covid care centres presently functioning in the state.
The total bed capacity in these centres is 22,890, out of which 289 beds are currently occupied while 22,601 are vacant. The number of oxygen support beds in Covid facilities which was 673 on May 15 has now increased to 1,126. Similarly, the number of ICU beds in such facilities has increased from 216 on May 15 to 247 while the number of ventilators has increased from 116 to 159. Rawat said that even as sample testing is rising consistently, the recovery rate and doubling rate is considerably better than and national average and improving further consistently.