NEW DELHI, June 3 (Xinhua) -- India's federal health ministry on Friday asked five states to monitor the COVID-19 situation and continue testing amid concerns over the resurgence of cases in the country.
The states included Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
"There is a need to follow a risk assessment-based approach on the public health responses without losing the gains made so far in the fight against the pandemic," federal health secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote in a letter to these states. "It is essential that the state must maintain a strict watch and take pre-emptive actions if required to control any emerging spread of infection."
Additionally, the health ministry also asked them to monitor all influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) cases, so that the infection spread can be tracked effectively.
According to the data being provided by the states to the federal government, 11 districts in Kerala, two districts in Chennai, six districts in Maharashtra, Bengaluru Urban in Karnataka and Telangana are once again witnessing surging COVID-19 cases and positivity rates.
India's federal health ministry on Friday morning reported 4,041 new COVID-19 cases and 10 related deaths during the past 24 hours across the country, which has once again stoked fears of another COVID-19 wave in places that have eased almost all restrictions. ■