Omicron in India: Centre deploys multi-disciplinary teams in 10 states reporting high cases

Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Mizoram, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Punjab are among the ten states mentioned in the report.

According to a Union Health Ministry office memorandum, multidisciplinary central teams have been established in ten states reporting an increase in Omicron and COVID-19 cases or a delayed vaccination rate. According to the memorandum, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Mizoram, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Punjab are among the ten states mentioned. According to the document, the number of Omicron cases has increased in several areas due to the quick increase in cases and fatalities caused by COVID-19, as reported by different news channels, state governments, and internal evaluations.

The memorandum stated that it's also worth noting that the rate of COVID-19 immunisation in these states is lower than the national average. As a result of this situation, a decision has been made to deploy multidisciplinary central teams to ten identified states. These ten states are among the many which are either reporting an increase in the number of Omicron and COVID-19 cases or a slow vaccination rate to assist state and district administrations in managing the situation, it added.

According to the announcement, these teams will be stationed in the states for three to five days and will collaborate with state health officials. According to the document, the teams would primarily look at contact tracing, including surveillance and containment activities, and COVID-19 testing, including delivering enough samples from clusters to the INSACOG network for genome sequencing.

They will also look at the enforcement of Covid-appropriate behaviour, the availability of hospital beds, and necessary logistics like ambulances, ventilators and much more. The state-level central teams will review the situation, recommend corrective steps, and submit a report on public health activities being carried out every evening by 7 p.m., in addition to reporting the same to the state governments, according to the memo.