With 185 new cases and two deaths due to Covid-19 reported in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry on March 28 announced a change in strategy with increased focus on high-disease burden hotspots across India. Working with the State governments, there will be intensified efforts to strengthen community surveillance, contact tracking and containment strategy, officials said.

There, however, is no change in testing strategy, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said.

Considerable spikes in cases have been reported from Kasargod district of Kerala and Bhilwara in Rajasthan. Kerala also reported its first death  after a 69-year-old man being treated for the virus died at Ernakulam Medical College Hospital.

“While social distancing and lockdown continue to be vital, our focus is also on setting up dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in every State, ensuring that there are adequate number of beds, ventilators and ICU facilities,” Mr. Agarwal told reporters.

“Over 17 States across India have already started work on identifying dedicated hospitals. As for the other States we are constantly engaged in discussion for earmarking dedicated COVID-19 hospitals,” he added.