By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Advising states to be alert given the global surge in Covid cases and the upcoming Christmas and New Year festivities, the centre on Friday directed states to strengthen surveillance, ramp up testing, and ensure the wearing of masks, especially in crowded spaces, including indoors.
The Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a Covid review meeting with state health ministers given the recent upsurge in China, Japan, Brazil and the US, also asked them to ensure hospital infrastructure is ready to meet any eventuality and directed them to carry out mock drills in hospitals to check their emergency preparedness.
Following these directions, country-wide mock drills will be carried out on December 27. The health minister will also be leading one.
States were also told to avoid overcrowding in public spaces, both indoors and outdoors.
“Need to collectively reinvigorate the system and remove any sense of complacency and fatigue,” the minister said and requested them to expeditiously increase the rate of testing from the current rate of 79 tests per million (till December 22).
In a tweet after the meeting, Mandaviya said, “Emphasized the need to be alert in a COVID-19 review meeting with State Health Ministers. There is no need to panic. We have three years of experience in pandemic management. The Centre Govt will provide all the support to combat COVID-19. We will take action as per the needs.”
“Also, stressed on combating the pandemic with a pre-emptive & proactive approach by increasing testing, genome sequencing and following COVID-appropriate behaviour,” he added.
Emphasized on the need to be alert in COVID-19 review meeting with State Health Ministers.There is no need to panic. We have 3 years of experience in pandemic management. The Centre Govt will provide all the support to combat COVID-19. We will take action as per the needs. pic.twitter.com/z4QsMZMbEX
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) December 23, 2022
ALSO READ | Covid not over yet, mask up, don’t be complacent: PM Modi
Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan in a letter to state chief secretaries said in terms of preparedness for upcoming festivities, it is essential that all measures are put in place with relevant stakeholders like event organisers, business owners, market associations etc., to avoid overcrowding, ensure adequate ventilation, especially indoors, wearing of masks in places where crowds are converging.
Though globally, Covid-19 cases are showing a spike, India has been reporting an average of 153 cases over the past several days – this is among the lowest numbers since the pandemic began two years ago.
However, the ministry said there is a need to put in place requisite public health measures and other arrangements to minimise the risk of increase in transmission of the disease by maintaining and strengthening focus on test-track-treat-vaccination and adherence to Covid appropriate behaviour – use of masks, hand and respiratory hygiene and maintaining physical distancing.
India has also detected four cases of Omicron sub-variant BF.7, driving the Covid surge in China.
The ministry asked states to monitor and report district-wise Influenza-like illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases at all health centres regularly to detect early rising trends and suggested that these cases be tested for Covid.
Among other measures, the health ministry said states should ensure adequate testing in all districts, ensure higher samples for whole genome sequencing amongst positive samples of Covid-19, ramp up vaccination, especially precaution doses, and create awareness among communities.
ALSO READ | Avoid public gatherings, international travel, says IMA
On Thursday, the ministry announced that random testing of two per cent of all international travellers would be conducted from Saturday.
The meet was attended by Health Ministers of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Assam, Jharkhand, Puducherry, Tripura, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Haryana and Lieutenant Governor, Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha.
The meeting with the state health ministers came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned against complacency and urged everyone to follow Covid appropriate behaviour at all times, especially given the upcoming festive season, including wearing masks in crowded public places.
ALSO READ | Prepared to handle Covid crisis: Kejriwal
NEW DELHI: Advising states to be alert given the global surge in Covid cases and the upcoming Christmas and New Year festivities, the centre on Friday directed states to strengthen surveillance, ramp up testing, and ensure the wearing of masks, especially in crowded spaces, including indoors.
The Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a Covid review meeting with state health ministers given the recent upsurge in China, Japan, Brazil and the US, also asked them to ensure hospital infrastructure is ready to meet any eventuality and directed them to carry out mock drills in hospitals to check their emergency preparedness.
Following these directions, country-wide mock drills will be carried out on December 27. The health minister will also be leading one.
States were also told to avoid overcrowding in public spaces, both indoors and outdoors.
“Need to collectively reinvigorate the system and remove any sense of complacency and fatigue,” the minister said and requested them to expeditiously increase the rate of testing from the current rate of 79 tests per million (till December 22).
In a tweet after the meeting, Mandaviya said, “Emphasized the need to be alert in a COVID-19 review meeting with State Health Ministers. There is no need to panic. We have three years of experience in pandemic management. The Centre Govt will provide all the support to combat COVID-19. We will take action as per the needs.”
“Also, stressed on combating the pandemic with a pre-emptive & proactive approach by increasing testing, genome sequencing and following COVID-appropriate behaviour,” he added.
Emphasized on the need to be alert in COVID-19 review meeting with State Health Ministers.
There is no need to panic. We have 3 years of experience in pandemic management. The Centre Govt will provide all the support to combat COVID-19. We will take action as per the needs. pic.twitter.com/z4QsMZMbEX
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) December 23, 2022
ALSO READ | Covid not over yet, mask up, don’t be complacent: PM Modi
Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan in a letter to state chief secretaries said in terms of preparedness for upcoming festivities, it is essential that all measures are put in place with relevant stakeholders like event organisers, business owners, market associations etc., to avoid overcrowding, ensure adequate ventilation, especially indoors, wearing of masks in places where crowds are converging.
Though globally, Covid-19 cases are showing a spike, India has been reporting an average of 153 cases over the past several days – this is among the lowest numbers since the pandemic began two years ago.
However, the ministry said there is a need to put in place requisite public health measures and other arrangements to minimise the risk of increase in transmission of the disease by maintaining and strengthening focus on test-track-treat-vaccination and adherence to Covid appropriate behaviour – use of masks, hand and respiratory hygiene and maintaining physical distancing.
India has also detected four cases of Omicron sub-variant BF.7, driving the Covid surge in China.
The ministry asked states to monitor and report district-wise Influenza-like illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases at all health centres regularly to detect early rising trends and suggested that these cases be tested for Covid.
Among other measures, the health ministry said states should ensure adequate testing in all districts, ensure higher samples for whole genome sequencing amongst positive samples of Covid-19, ramp up vaccination, especially precaution doses, and create awareness among communities.
ALSO READ | Avoid public gatherings, international travel, says IMA
On Thursday, the ministry announced that random testing of two per cent of all international travellers would be conducted from Saturday.
The meet was attended by Health Ministers of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Assam, Jharkhand, Puducherry, Tripura, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Haryana and Lieutenant Governor, Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha.
The meeting with the state health ministers came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned against complacency and urged everyone to follow Covid appropriate behaviour at all times, especially given the upcoming festive season, including wearing masks in crowded public places.
ALSO READ | Prepared to handle Covid crisis: Kejriwal
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