The Center’s warning came even as about 60% of all new cases were reported in just five states. Maharashtra only contributed 23,577 and Andhra Pradesh had 10,418 cases on Wednesday.
Health Ministry sources said the Center was interested in guaranteeing more testing, particularly in states with a high positivity rate, but they also pointed to laxity that has infiltrated public behavior. They said that only the widespread use of masks would help reduce the incidence of the disease.
Deaths are also increasing every day. Of the total 1,172 deaths in the last 24 hours as of Thursday morning, 69% were concentrated in five states and Union territories: Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh. Maharashtra only accounted for 32% of the new deaths.
In a letter written jointly by the Ministry of Health and the Indian Council of Medical Research, the Center said that it was necessary to ensure that such symptomatic negative cases under RAT do not remain unproven and do not spread the disease among their contacts.
It was also emphasized in the letter that while RAT was used to increase access and availability of testing in the field, RT-PCR remained the gold standard of Covid-19 testing. Protocols must be closely followed, the Center has insisted, noting the need to test symptomatic negatives and follow up asymptomatic negatives for a few days to make sure they are also tested if they develop symptoms.
The total number of active cases in the country stood at 9,19,018 on Wednesday, the ministry said.
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