Omicron threat: PM holds review meet; Centre frames 5-fold strategy

The Centre has urged states and Union Territories (UTs) to follow a five-fold strategy of Containment, Testing & Surveillance, Clinical Management, COVID Safe Behavior and Vaccination.

On Thursday evening (December 23), Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a review meeting on the COVID situation in the country amid rising concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Official sources said Modi took stock of the pandemic situation across the country in a high-level meeting attended by senior officials and experts.

India has recorded 236 cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus across 16 states and Union Territories (UTs) so far, out of which 104 people have recovered or migrated, according to the updated Union health ministry data.

Earlier, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan took stock of the public health preparedness of states and reviewed the progress of vaccination. He warned states against complacency and told them to remain vigilant.

Elaborating on the five-fold strategy, Bhushan said that local containment measures are to be put in place by the district/local administration when either the test positivity increases beyond 10% or occupancy of oxygenated beds increases beyond 40%. States/UTs can undertake containment measures and impose restrictions even before these thresholds are reached, added Bhushan. Any restriction must be enforced for minimum of 14 days.

The Centre wants states to impose night curfews and ensure strict regulation of large gatherings, especially ahead of the forthcoming festivities.

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States must promptly notify “Containment Zones”, “Buffer Zones” in case of new clusters of COVID positive cases. They must ensure strict perimeter control of containment zone as per extant guidelines. All cluster samples must be sent to INSACOG Labs for genome sequencing without delay.

For better testing and surveillance, Bhushan said states must keep a close and strict watch on 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.

On clinical management, states were asked to increase bed capacity, ensure logistics like ambulances and enforce mechanism for seamless shifting of patients; ensure operational readiness of oxygen equipment; maintain buffer stock of essential medicines of at least 30 days; ensure stringent enforcement of home quarantine guidelines, among other things.

As far as COVID safe behaviour is concerned, the Centre asked states to ensure there is no misinformation or panic in people. They must communicate transparently on hospital and testing infrastructure availability and conduct regular press briefings. Strict enforcement of COVID appropriate behaviour is a must, said Bhushan.

States were advised to ensure 100% vaccine coverage of left out first and second dose eligible beneficiaries in an accelerated manner. Strengthen door-to-door vaccination campaign especially in States/UTs where vaccination coverage is below the national average. States going in for elections in the near future to exponentially ramp up the vaccination, especially in the low coverage districts to protect the vulnerable population.