The teams include a nodal officer, a public health expert, and a clinician

As Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal experience a spurt of new cases, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has sent special teams to the states to assist them in their fight against COVID-19.

The teams will help the states in testing, infection prevention, control measures & efficient clinical management of the positive cases. The Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan informed in a tweet.

He wrote, “@MoHFW INDIA has deputed high level Central teams to Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh & West Bengal. The teams will support the State efforts towards testing, infection prevention, control measures & efficient clinical management of the positive cases.”


The Health Ministry later in a statement said that the special teams consist of a nodal officer per state. The teams will also consist of one public health expert to look after the public health aspects, one clinician to look after infection prevention practices, clinical management protocol being followed by the State.

“The teams will support the State efforts towards strengthening containment, surveillance, testing, infection prevention and control measures, and efficient clinical management of the positive cases. The Central teams shall also guide in effectively managing the challenges related to timely diagnosis and follow up,” the ministry said in the statement.

The five states of Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal have seen a sudden rise in the number of cases of COVID-19 in the recent days.

According to the data released by the ministry, Kerala has reported around 7,789 new cases and 23 deaths in the past 24 hours taking the total number of cases to 3,17,929 which is 4.3 per cent of the total cases. Kerala has over 94,000 active cases in the state.

Similarly, Karnataka has reported 7,43,848 total cases accounting for 10.1% of the national figure out of which reported 8,477 new cases and 85 new deaths in the past 24 hours. Around 6,20,008 patients have already recovered in the state.

Rajasthan also registered 2,039 new cases and 14 new deaths in the past 24 hours taking the total to 1,67,279 in the state. West Bengal too reported 3,720 new cases and 62 new deaths. West Bengal has 3,09,417 of total cases.

On the same note, Chhattisgarh reported 2,819 new cases and 46 new deaths taking the total to 1,53,515. Around 1,23,943 patients have already recovered in the state.

It comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 15 took a review meeting in which he directed the health ministry to create a facility for regular, fast and inexpensive testing.

He also took stock of the Union Health Ministry’s distribution and delivery mechanism including procurement, bulk-stockpiling, filling vials for distribution and delivery as India expects a vaccine by early 2021.