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BIG STORY DECEMBER 31, 2021 | The Indian Eye 5

A staff member counts oxygen cylinders at Commonwealth Games (CWG) Village isolation Swahid Jadav Nath Homeopathic College students hold placards during an awareness rally in
center in view of rising Omicron cases, in New Delhi on Thursday (ANI) the wake of COVID-19 variant Omicron, in Guwahati on Thursday. (ANI)

are installed and fully functional, he “On the issue of Testing and Sur- priate Behaviour. ficials over COVID-19, Kejriwal
instructed the officials. veillance, States were asked to keep Regarding Vaccination, States said that the Delhi government will
Modi has directed the officials to a close and strict watch on the num- were advised to ensure 100 per cent increase daily test capacity to three
work with the states on a regular ba- ber of Delta and Omicron cases in all coverage of left out first and second lakh and strengthen the home iso-
sis and review the status of prepared- districts. Keep a tab on case positivity dose eligible beneficiaries in an ac- lation module to handle one lakh
ness of various components of health numbers on a day-on-day and week- celerated manner, special focus to be positive cases each day. “Delhi gov-
infrastructure including training and on-week basis, the doubling rate and given to those districts where the first ernment have made all prepara-
capacity building of human resourc- new emerging clusters,” reads the of- and second dose coverage is less than tions considering Omicron is highly
es, timely availability of ambulances, ficial statement. the national average and strengthen transmissible but causes very mild
readiness of states to operationalise In addition, attention needs to door-to-door vaccination campaign infection, fewer hospitalisations and
COVID facilities for institution- be placed on conducting tests as per especially in States/UTs where vacci- deaths. We have created a capacity to
al quarantining, and effective and extant ICMR and MoHFW guide- nation coverage is below the national conduct three lakh tests daily. With
supervised monitoring of those in lines. Ensure door-to-door case average. our preparations, we can handle as
home isolation. search in the containment areas. Test States going in for elections many as one lakh daily cases if such
Modi also directed officials for all SARI/ILI and vulnerable/co-mor- in the near future to exponentially a situation arises. We are strengthen-
effective use of IT tools for tele-med- bid people. Ensure right proportion ramp up the vaccination, especially ing our home isolation management
icine and tele-consultation. of RT-PCR: RAT (at least 60:40) in the low coverage districts to pro- protocol,” said Delhi Chief Minister.
tests in total tests being conducted tect the vulnerable population and “Since Omicron causes mild in-
Five-Fold Strategy daily. This can be ramped up to a pockets with low vaccination cover- fection, have decided to strengthen
The Centre has proposed a five- 70:30 ratio. Ensure contact tracing of age and those with low COVID ex- home isolation module. We appeal
fold strategy for tackling the threat all COVID positive persons & their posure may be more vulnerable to to persons with mild symptoms to
stay at home, don’t rush to the hospi-
timely testing, especially in clusters
the new Omicron variant. States to
of COVID-19 variant ‘Omicron’, in reporting high numbers and utilize accord special attention to ramp up tal. Under our home isolation mod-
a review meeting on Thursday over the access to “AIR SUVIDHA” Por- vaccination in these pockets, advised ule, our healthcare workers will visit
public health preparedness by States tal to monitor the international pas- Ministry. patients at their residence, conduct
and Union Territories for fighting sengers. Meanwhile, Union Health Min- tele-counselling and also give a kit
COVID-19 and the Omicron variant. “As many States have decommis- istry on Tuesday alerted States and containing oximeter etc to them,” he
The fivefold strategy includes
broad guidelines under the heading sioned COVID facilities, they are re- Union Territories about the new said. Kejriwal further said that the
COVID-19 variant, Omicron, and
quired to keep an action plan ready
- Containment, Testing and Surveil- for making these operational along said that based on current scientific government is also increasing man-
lance, Clinical management, COVID with adequate availability of doc- evidence, Omicron is at least three power to manage patients in home
Safe Behaviour and Vaccination. tors and ambulance on call, in case times more transmissible than the isolation and creating a buffer
According to Health Ministry, states there is a rise in COVID cases,” said Delta variant. stock of medicines that can last two
are advised to Impose night curfews Health Ministry. months.
and ensure strict regulation of large On the front of COVID Safe “We are increasing our manpow-
gatherings, especially ahead of the Behaviour, states were advised to Home iSolation er, stocking medicines for the coming
forthcoming festivities. Promptly no- ensure advance engagement and In view of the rising Omicron few months. We are arranging med-
tify “Containment Zones”, “Buffer information so that there is no mis- threat, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind ical oxygen and 15 oxygen tankers
Zones” in the case in new clusters of information or panic, communicate Kejriwal on Thursday said that will be delivered to us in the next 3
COVID positive cases. Ensure strict transparently on hospital and testing the state government has decided weeks,” said Delhi CM.
perimeter control of Containment infrastructure availability, conduct to strengthen the home isolation He further said that according to
Zone as per extant guidelines and regular press briefings and encour- module since the new variant of the serosurvey, 95 per cent of people in
send all cluster samples to INSA- age community participation and COVId-19 causes mild infection. Delhi have already been infected with
COG Labs for Genome Sequencing strict enforcement of Covid Appro- Addressing a press conference
without delay. after a high-level meeting with of- Continued at next page... >>

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