Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted a virtual meeting with Chief Ministers of 10 states over the situation created by COVID-19, Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Health Ministry said.
Addressing a press meet here, Bhushan said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted a virtual meeting with Chief Ministers of 10 states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh through video conferencing as These states account for 80 per cent of active cases and around 81 per cent of the Covid deaths."
Prime Minister said that surveillance, contact tracing and containment is the major weapon in battling COVID-19.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi informed all states that in the battle against corona, surveillance, contact tracing and containment is the major weapon. All state government should try to do this practice. Our aim should to bring death rate to be less than 1 per cent," the health secretary said.
PM Modi said all these three things can be done and have been done successfully and best example is that of Delhi-NCR.
The Prime Minister specifically referred that Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Telangana they need to increase the testing rate because the positivity rate is on the higher side.
"PM referred to the fact that there are states - Bihar, Gujarat, UP, West Bengal and Telangana where there's need to increase testing rate as positivity rate at present in these states is on higher side," Bhushan informed.
"The PM underlined the fact that if we win against COVID-19 in these 10 states then battle against COVID nationally will be won," he said.
( With inputs from ANI )