Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has asked states to increase alertness and prepare for mass gatherings or visits in the coming months to ensure that participants traveling within states and within states do not travel with them. COVID-19 infection.
Bhushan also held a video-conferencing meeting with 14 states that are still reporting a surge in cases and asked them to strengthen surveillance and report any normal or different clinical profiles of patients. Told.
To prepare for the upcoming visits, states have been asked to publicize that all persons planning to participate in these events should be symptom free and preferably fully vaccinated. States need to organize special drives, if necessary, to immunize people a fortnight before any such event.
States have also been asked to promote and make arrangements for adequate testing, as well as to organize health facilities and health desks, to promote voluntary organizations and to ensure that COVID-appropriate practices are followed. Is.
The letter said the elderly and those with comorbidities should take extra precautions, including continuing the medication and monitoring symptoms closely.
It states that all prayer meetings, seating and living arrangements should be done outdoors or in well-ventilated areas.
In a meeting with 14 states, NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr VK Paul urged states to strengthen active surveillance of all COVID-19 patients as well as Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI), Influenza Like Illness (ILI) gave advice. with genomic sequencing. The states were asked to report the data-backed clinical manifestations to the health ministry to help them identify changes in the clinical profile at an early stage.
They have also been called upon to “rapidly accelerate” vaccination coverage, especially in those over the age of 60 and the second dose in children between the ages of 12 and 17.
Paul and Bhushan also said that with the decline in the share of more accurate RT-PCRs, the level of Covid-19 testing was low across the states.
States have been advised to conduct strategic testing of new clusters of SARI and ILI cases as well as those visiting fever clinics.
Further, Bhushan urged states to expeditiously process claims under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package for health workers to ensure that dues are paid to public health service providers, including community health workers, who died. has occurred. coronavirus,