Lucknow, Oct 28 (IANS): Amid the rising Covid-19 cases in other states and neighbouring countries, the Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday instructed the surveillance committees to switch on to 'alert mode' to contain the spread of infection in the state.

The surveillance committees constituted by the Yogi Adityanath government played a significant role in controlling the spread of the resurgent virus through timely identification, isolation of Covid patients and distribution of medicine kits, pulse oximeters and thermometers in the state.

The committees have been instructed to intensify door-to-door screening, tracing of patients showing influenza-like illness (ILI) as per the WHO-recommended 'trace-test-treat' strategy. The committees have also been ordered to check the spread of vector-borne diseases such as dengue, cholera, diarrhoea and malaria in the state.

"As coronavirus remains under effective control in Uttar Pradesh, in view of rising cases in other places, we must strengthen our contact tracing operation. The surveillance committees must intensify screening to enable early detection if any followed by early treatment," the chief minister said at a meeting in Lucknow on Thursday.

The government spokesperson said that over 73,000 surveillance committees will pay door-to-door visits and will conduct thorough screening and tracing of every individual.

The surveillance exercise will be carried out rigorously in view of the festive season which may result in increased transmission of diseases.

Apart from making all necessary arrangements in the hospitals for the treatment of ailing people, the government has also ordered to ensure continuous monitoring of the health of every patient to remove any chance of increased transmission of the virus or any water-borne, vector-borne disease.

The authorities have been asked to continue the extensive cleanliness, sanitization and fogging drives to prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases.

A month-long state-wide communicable disease control drive is also being conducted to keep a check on seasonal vagaries.

The campaign has been rolled out in all 75 districts to educate the public about measures to prevent communicable diseases.

The ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, ANMs and village heads have been entrusted with the responsibility of apprising the rural populace about various water-borne diseases.