New Delhi, February 26: The Centre has rushed expert teams to 10 states that have reported a surge in COVID-19 cases.  The high-level multi-disciplinary teams have been deputed to Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, to find out the reasons for the surge.

The expert teams that have been sent to these states comprise a public health expert and an epidemiologist. Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan pointed out reduced Covid-19 testing as one of the reasons for the surge in cases. Centre Asks States to Speed Up COVID-19 Vaccination Drive Amid Surge in New Cases.

Maharashtra continues to report the highest number of fresh cases at 8,702. It is followed by Kerala with 3,677 cases, and Punjab with 563 new cases on Thursday. The Centre on Tuesday asked the states to expedite the coronavirus vaccination drive. It has also dispatched teams to places where the cases of the disease are rising.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 26, 2021 11:13 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).