With COVID -19 cases witnessing a sharp spike in the state, Haryana Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora on Wednesday claimed that proactive strategies are being made to effectively combat the spread of the deadly virus in the state.

All the Deputy Commissioner along with the Unit Committees has to play a pivotal role in the containment of COVID-19 Pandemic, she said while presiding over a meeting of Crisis Coordination Committee with Deputy Commissioners and Nodal Officers appointed for COVID-19, through video conferencing here.

The positive cases crossed 18000-mark on Wednesday in Haryana.During the meeting, the Chief Secretary said, “Like Rohtak, medical colleges in other districts should explore option for starting plasma treatment.

A Plasma Deposit Bank has been set up at Faridabad and the same should be set up in other districts too.  Monitoring should be done by multi-disciplinary authorities and experts.

 She also directed the Deputy Commissioners to further ramp up COVID-19 management preparations coupled with aggressive surveillance, stringent containment, swift contact tracing, focused clinical management along with proactive Information Education and Communication (IEC) activities. She said that Police had also been directed to monitor the entry and exit of the containment zones.

Increased testing capacity, especially in containment zones along with aggressive efforts to reduce the positivity rate of COVID-19 should be done. Improved testing capacity together with aggressive contact tracing is the key to reduce the positivity rate. Besides this, Antigen testing should be done in every district, she said.

Keshni directed that 80 per cent of contact tracing should be done on the same day. 

The fatality rate should be reduced at any cost, she asserted.She further said that setting up of high dependency units in medical colleges and proper dead body management should be done on a priority basis.

Besides this, Psychological counselling should be provided to every patient and a mechanism should be evolved to help in removing the uncertainty arising among the relatives of COVID-19 patients, she said.The Chief Secretary said that adequate supply and availability of medicines and oxygen cylinders are very important. Those districts which have COVID-19 patients should have requisite availability of medicines and timely treatment is to be provided.

A close vigil of those coming from outside Haryana should be done on a priority basis. Besides this, checking of every vehicle entering the state should be done meticulously, she added.

 Keshni also said that COVID-19 safe mechanisms should be ensured and followed in each district including following social distancing norms, wearing of face masks etc. A close watch should be kept on public transport, hospitals, Mandis and implementation of other necessary guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs should be ensured, especially while organizing a marriage, religious and other ceremonies.

“The health status of all such people who have been in home quarantine, especially in Containment Zones should be done through active surveillance along with a special focus on follow-up of people suffering from co-morbidities like TB, kidney disease, etc.” the Chief Secretary added.