New Delhi: Taking a strong note over the increasing number of Omicron cases across India, the Union Health Ministry on Thursday suggested to the Centre and States to enforce restrictions for a minimum of 14 days, before the transmission reaches its peak.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan reviewed the overall situation in India following the spread of COVID 19 with state health secretaries, NHM MDs of states and UTs through video conferencing.
Bhushan said that local containment measures should be out by the district and local administration when either the test positivity increase beyond 10 percent or occupancy of oxygenated beds increases beyond 40 percent.
"However, based on the local situation and population characteristics such as density etc, and keeping in mind the higher transmissibility of Omicron, States and UTs can undertake containment measures and impose restrictions even before these thresholds are reached. Any restrictions must be enforced for minimum 14 days," said Bhushan.
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He suggested that as syndromes of Omicron variant closely mimic common cold with a higher rate of transmissibility and doubling time, a syndromic approach for Covid containment can be adopted.
Bhushan highlighted the trajectory of Covid and brought attention to emerging evidence on the Omicron variant of Covid19 driving the growing number of cases worldwide.
The health secretary suggested following a five-fold strategy for tackling Omicron.
He also suggested imposing night curfews and ensuring strict regulations of large gatherings, especially ahead of the forthcoming festivals.
The ministry has further asked for prompt notification of "containment zones, buffer zones" in the case of new, emerging COVID clusters.
Referring to testing of cases, the health secretary suggested States and UTs to ensure door-to-door case search in the containment areas.
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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 to day and week on week basis, as well as the doubling rate, new emerging clusters and to initiate containment in these areas.
"Test all SARI and ILI and vulnerable as well as co-morbid people," Bhushan suggested.
Regarding vaccination, the health secretary suggested ensuring 100 percent coverage of left out first and second dose eligible beneficiaries in an accelerated manner.
The health secretary also suggested that States going in for election in the near future need to exponentially ramp up the vaccinations, especially in the low coverage districts to protect the vulnerable populations.
