Center advises states to hold early elections to increase Covid vaccinations exponentially
New Delhi:
The Center on Thursday recommended that states plan to hold Council polls over the next few months to increase Covid vaccinations exponentially to protect populations vulnerable to the surge. stabilization of Omicron variant cases of coronavirus in India.
It said bags with low vaccination rates and people with low COVID-19 exposure could be more vulnerable to the new Omicron variant and called on countries to pay special attention to boosting vaccinations. in these bags.
According to a statement from the Union Health Ministry, the states and territories of the Union have been advised to stay vigilant and monitor the positive status of cases, double the rate and group of new cases and balance them out. reminding to introduce restrictive measures and restrictions at the local level before Christmas and New Year.
Union Health Minister Rajesh Bhushan, in reviewing the state’s public health preparedness to combat COVID-19 and the Omicron variant along with virtually vaccination progress, advised states not to lose stay alert and maintain pandemic preparedness.
He reiterated that local containment measures will be taken when a positive test result increases by more than 10% or bed occupancy increases by more than 40%, the statement said.
However, based on the local situation and population characteristics such as density, and noting the higher transmission potential of Omicron, states and UT can take containment measures, Mr. Bhushan stressed. and impose restrictions even before these thresholds are reached.”
Any restrictions must be in place for a minimum of 14 days, states have advised.
Since the symptoms of infection caused by the Omicron variant closely resemble the common cold with a higher transmission rate and double duration, a syndromic approach can be applied to contain Covid. health chief said.
With regard to immunization, states are advised to ensure 100% coverage of eligible beneficiaries for the first and second doses quickly and with a particular focus on districts with high coverage. Coverage of the first and second doses are less than the national average.
Mr. Bhushan emphasized during the meeting, countries that are holding elections in the next few months need to increase vaccination exponentially, especially in low-coverage districts to protect vulnerable populations. hurt.
In terms of containment strategies, states are advised to apply nighttime curfews, ensure strict regulations on mass gatherings, and promptly notify ‘containment zones’, ‘buffer zones’ if detected. new clusters of Covid cases.
They were required to send all samples from the clusters to INSACOG Laboratories for immediate genome sequencing.
States are also required to ensure case-by-case searches in containment areas, check all SARI/ILI and vulnerable/co-morbid individuals, and ensure appropriate rates of RT-tests PCR:RAT (at least 60:40) of the total number of tests performed daily, the statement said. This ratio can be increased up to 70:30.
Claims Center ensures contact tracing of all Covid positives and their timely testing, especially in clusters, and uses access to the ‘AIR SUVIDHA’ portal for tracing international passengers, the statement said.
Regarding clinical management, states have been informed that the current National Clinical Regulations remain unchanged for Omicron.
As many states have already shut down Covid facilities, they are required to have an action plan ready to get these facilities up and running with the availability of doctors and ambulances in the immediate future. case there is an increase in COVID cases, the Union health secretary emphasized during the meeting.
States are advised to ensure participation and advance information so that there is no miscommunication or panic.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
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