New Delhi [India], March 26 (ANI): The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has rushed two high-level multidisciplinary teams to Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh on Friday in wake of the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases being reported from the state and the union territory.

India continued to see a surge in new COVID-19 cases as 59,118 fresh infections and 257 deaths were reported in the country in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said today.

Five states of Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat -- have registered a sharp rise in daily COVID-19 cases, the ministry said.

The teams rushed to Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh will work with the respective State/UT government to ascertain the reason/s for the surge, assist in undertaking gap analysis and recommend requisite COVID-19 control and containment measures.

The team to Chhattisgarh is headed by National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Director Dr S K Singh and has experts from AIIMS, Raipur and the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health. The team to Chandigarh is led by Textiles Ministry Additional Secretary Vijoy Kumar Singh and has experts from RML Hospital, New Delhi and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi.

The deployed teams will visit the most affected districts, hotspots in the State/UT to take stock of the on-ground implementation of public health interventions. They will share the key findings, recommendations and remedial measures to be taken up with the Chief Secretary/Chief Administrator.

The Union Government has been leading the fight against the Covid pandemic with a "Whole of Government" approach. As an ongoing effort to strengthen the efforts of various State/UT Governments for Covid management, the central government has been deputing Central teams from time to time to visit various States/UTs.

The Chhattisgarh government has announced that it will impose a fine of Rs 500 for not wearing a mask in public places. Chhattisgarh government has increased the fine from Rs 100 to Rs 500 for not wearing a face mask, to ensure strict implementation of the coronavirus guidelines. The state reported 2,419 fresh cases, on Thursday pushing the overall tally to 3,32,113.

Meanwhile, Chandigarh recorded a total of 226 new Coronavirus cases on Thursday. The positivity rate of the city is at 8.5 per cent. (ANI)