Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Friday said that the next three months are going to be decisive in determining the situation of COVID in the country and urged people to follow COVID-appropriate behaviour during the coming festival and winter season, an ANI report stated.

Addressing a review meeting with officials of the Uttar Pradesh government, Vardhan said as reported by ANI, "Appropriate measures are being taken to combat COVID-19. But the next three months are going to be decisive in determining the situation of COVID in the country. If we take adequate precaution and follow COVID-appropriate behaviour in the coming festival and winter season, we will be in a better position to fight corona."

He asserted that the state needs to focus on increasing testing, surveillance, contact tracing, and early diagnosis to keep fatality rate low.

Vardhan informed that in the last three months, the country has seen significant improvement in the COVID parameters.

"The number of active cases are less than 7 lakh and the doubling rate has increased to 97.2 days, as of now. The journey which started from having just one lab, we have come a long way in now having nearly 2000 labs in the country. The number of total tests conducted across the country have surpassed 10 crore. This is a positive indication that we are moving in the right direction," he said.