By PTI
CHANDIGARH: A woman who travelled from Canada to Faridabad in Haryana has tested positive for Omicron variant, state Health Minister Anil Vij said on Wednesday.
He added that the state government was taking all necessary steps to ensure all Covid-related guidelines are strictly followed in the state.
Vij, who was replying to a Calling Attention Motion in the assembly and later interacting with reporters outside the Vidhan Sabha complex, said the woman had returned from Canada on December 13 and tested positive for Covid a day later.
She later tested positive for the Omicron variant on December 20, he said.
Her two primary contacts, mother and aunt have also tested positive for Covid and their samples have been sent for genome sequencing.
All three have been quarantined at a private health facility in Faridabad, Vij said.
Three other travellers, with a travel history abroad who were headed to Haryana to either meet relatives or friends, have also tested positive for Omicron, but they did not enter Haryana and have been quarantined in Delhi after testing Covid positive and later positive for the new variant, said Vij.
These include a 23-year-old man, who was travelling from the UK.
He was to meet a relative in Gurgaon.
All three have been admitted to hospitals in Delhi and have not travelled to Haryana, Vij said.
In his Calling Attention notice, Congress MLA Chiranjeevi Rao had sought to know what steps the government has taken to stop spreading of Omicron variant.
Vij said Omicron has emerged as a concern around the world.
He, however, said the state government is prepared to deal with any challenge the new variant may pose, even as Covid-related guidelines are being strictly enforced.
About the Covid frontline warriors who succumbed to the virus in line of duty, Vij said a Wall of Memory has been built at the headquarters of the Health Department.
He said 28 people of the health department have lost their lives due to Covid, out of which dependents of 27 people have been given compensation of Rs 50 lakh.
The opposition MLAs, including Congress’ Kiran Choudhary and INLD’s Abhay Singh Chautala, took on the government over alleged shortage of oxygen, beds, etc. during the peak of the second wave of Covid earlier this year.
Vij said during the peak of the second wave, there was an influx of patients into Haryana from other states.
“We did a survey and it was found that 30 percent of patients were from outside Haryana, but all were treated in our hospitals. We arranged additional beds, set up temporary hospitals, in Panipat and in Hisar and arranged beds at other places to deal with the surge in cases at that time. When there was a peak of the second wave, daily Covid cases reported in the state went up to 15,000,” Vij said.
He said the state is now better equipped to deal with any possible third wave.
In the coming days, 980 doctors will also be recruited soon, he said.
Adequate stock of medicines, isolation beds, oxygen equipped beds, ICU beds and ventilators are available in satisfactory quantities with the state government for the treatment of Covid patients, he said.
Regarding vaccination, the health minister said both doses of vaccination are a strong shield against Covid infection and along with this the usage of masks and maintaining social distance are also very important.
Vij said he wants the vaccination to become a mass movement and he urged the Haryana MLAs to motivate people to get the second dose of vaccination in their respective constituencies.
Arrangements will be made to set up camps and health teams will be sent there to ensure vaccination, he said.
He said compensation is being provided by the government to the families of those who died due to Covid, under which an ex-gratia amount of Rs 50,000 for all citizens of Haryana and Rs 2 lakh for BPL card holders in the age group of 18-50 years, for employees special ex-gratia grant of Rs 5 lakh for regular / contract/ ad hoc/outsourcing / etc. is given.
The state government has also provided a special compassionate monetary benefit of Rs 20 lakh for corona warriors, health workers (government and government employees) deployed for Covid duty.
