Omicron threat: Centre advises states to consider local curbs, ramp up vaccination ahead of festive season
“Observe all precautions; don't let your guard down,” the Health Ministry said during a review of Covid-19 status and preparedness in view of the Omicron variant.
FollowAfter reviewing the Covid-19 situation across states and Union Territories and with cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus increasing each day, the Centre on Thursday advised states and union territories to not let their guard down and ensure local-level containment measures are put in place ahead of the festive season.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan reviewed the public health preparedness of the states for fighting Covid and the Omicron variant along with progress of vaccination with Health Secretaries of states and UTs. He highlighted the trajectory of Covid and brought attention to emerging evidence on the Omicron variant of Covid driving the growing number of cases worldwide.
“Observe all precautions; don't let your guard down,” the Health Ministry said during a review of Covid-19 status and preparedness in view of the Omicron variant.
“However, based on the local situation and population characteristics such as density etc., and keeping in mind the higher transmissibility of Omicron, states/UTs can undertake containment measures and impose restrictions even before these thresholds are reached,” said the Union Health Ministry.
“Special focus to be given to those districts where the first and second dose coverage is less than the national average,” the health ministry said in a press release.
With that, the ministry also laid down the following five-fold strategy for tackling the Omicron threat.
It asked state officials to promptly notify “containment zones” and “buffer zones” and impose night curfews, in case a new cluster of Covid cases emerges. “Ensure strict perimeter control of the Containment Zone as per extant guidelines. Send all cluster samples to INSACOG Labs for Genome Sequencing without delay," states were told.
“Strengthen door-to-door vaccination campaign in states/UTs where vaccination coverage is below the national average.”
The Centre has advised the states going in for elections in the near future to exponentially ramp up the Covid-19 vaccination, especially in the low coverage districts to protect the vulnerable population.
On testing and surveillance, states were asked to keep a close and strict watch on the number of Delta and Omicron cases in all districts; case positivity on a day-on-day and week-on-week basis; the doubling rate; and new emerging clusters and initiate containment in these areas.
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