Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review the COVID-19 situation in the country amid rising cases of the new Omicron variant.
In view of the new variant, PM Modi said we should be (vigilant) and 'saavdhan' (cautious). The fight against the pandemic is not over, he said, adding that the need for continued adherence to COVID safe behaviour is of paramount importance even today.
According to a government release, PM Modi directed the officials for maintaining a high level of vigil and alertness at all levels. He directed the Centre to work in close coordination with the States to support their efforts of public health measures of containment and management.
He directed the officials to ensure that the health systems in the States, beginning from the district level, are strengthened to meet any challenge posed by the Omicron variant. It is important for States to ensure that the oxygen supply equipments are installed and fully functional, he instructed the officials. He directed the officials to work with the states on a regular basis and review the status of preparedness of various components of health infrastructure including training and capacity building of human resources, timely availability of ambulances, readiness of states to operationalise COVID facilities for institutional quarantining, and effective and supervised monitoring of those in home isolation, the release added.
During the meeting, the PM was briefed of the various actions taken by the Union Health Ministry. Revised travel advisory for international passengers, review meetings with States/UTs on COVID-19 public health response measures, ramping up vaccination, installation of Oxygen supply equipments, etc., was briefed to PM.
He was also apprised of the progress in the ongoing vaccination drive across the country. He was told that more than 88% of the eligible population is administered the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and more than 60% of the eligible population has received the second dose. Officials briefed PM that the door-to-door vaccination campaign to mobilise and vaccinate people has been able to motivate people to take the COVID-19 vaccine, and has shown encouraging results in boosting vaccine coverage, the release stated.
