New Delhi: Omicron continues to spread in India as the country-wide tally crossed 300 on Thursday with a record single-day jump of 84 cases.
Tamil Nadu, which until Wednesday had only 1 confirmed case of Omicron, added 33 more on Thursday followed by 23 in Maharashtra and 12 in Karnataka. Gujarat and Delhi reported seven cases each. The number of confirmed Omicron cases in India now stands at 358 as more cases pour in.
Given the increasing number of cases of the new variant, PM Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Thursday to review the health infrastructure and containment and management of Covid-19.
The PM reviewed public health response measures for containment and management of COVID19, strengthening of health infrastructure including the availability of drugs, oxygen cylinders and concentrators, ventilators, PSA plants, ICU/oxygen supported beds, human resources, IT interventions and status of vaccination.
Officials briefed the PM about the emerging scenario globally driven by the new variant, with an overview of the surge in cases in countries having high vaccination coverage and the presence of the Omicron variant.
The PM directed the officials to maintain 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.
"The strategy of the Centre for proactive, focussed, collaborative and cooperative fight against the pandemic should guide all our future actions," the PM directed the officials.
"In view of the new variant, we should be satarkand saavdhan," the PM directed.
The fight against the pandemic is not over and the need for continued adherence to COVID safe behaviour is of paramount importance even today, Modi added.
The PM 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 new variant.
"It is important for states to ensure that the Oxygen supply equipment 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, the readiness of states to operationalise COVID facilities for institutional quarantining, and effective and supervised monitoring of those in home isolation. He also directed officials for the effective use of IT tools for telemedicine and teleconsultation.
The PM was apprised of the progress in vaccination across the country. He was apprised that more than 88% of the eligible population is administered the first dose of the COVID19 vaccine and more than 60% of the eligible population has received the second dose.
The meeting was attended by Cabinet Secretary, Dr. V.K.Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, A.K.Bhalla, Home Secretary, Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary (MoHFW), Secretary (Pharmaceuticals); Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary (Biotechnology); Dr. Balram Bhargava, DG ICMR; Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary (AYUSH); Durga Shankar Mishra, Secretary (Urban Development); R.S. Sharma CEO NHA; Prof. K. Vijay Raghavan (Principal Scientific Advisor to Govt. of India) along with other senior officials.
