Centre rebukes media reports suggesting no cause of alarm amid pandemic, says EC informed on COVID situation

By Team Newsable | First Published Jan 7, 2022, 3:35 PM IST

These reports have a very high tendency to start a misinformation campaign in the midst of a pandemic, the Ministry said.

The Centre on Friday termed some media reports as misleading stating that the Union Health Ministry has suggested to the Election Commission that there is no cause of “alarm or concern in view of very few cases of Omicron in poll-bound states”.

Some media reports are suggesting that Union Ministry of Health has in a meeting with the Election Commission of India (ECI) yesterday suggested that the ‘Covid situation in the country is nothing to be worried about’ and ‘there is no cause of alarm or concern in the view of very few cases of Omicron in the poll-bound states’. Such reports are highly ill-informed, misleading and far from the truth, the Union Health Ministry said in a statement.

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These reports have a very high tendency to start a misinformation campaign in the midst of a pandemic, the Ministry said.

Also read: Poll strategist Prashant Kishor urges EC to ensure 80% people in poll-bound states are fully vaccinated

The Election Commission on Thursday reviewed the current coronavirus situation in the five poll-bound states with Union Health Secretary, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria, and ICMR chief Dr Balram Bhargava.

Details were also presented on the status of preparedness of the public health response within the states for control and management of the increasing numbers of Covid cases, the statement added.

It further said that the focus of the presentation was on poll bound states and their neighbouring states.

The stage is set for Assembly elections in five states -- Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab. While the first four are ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the last one has a Congress government. Although the dates are yet to be announced, all political parties have started flexing their muscles in the poll-bound states.

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