Omicron in focus, states told to monitor Covid-19 clusters

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday asked state governments to closely monitor the emerging hotspots and clusters of Covid-19, and breakthrough and re-infection cases in view of the newly detected Omicron variant of the virus.
In a review meeting on Thursday, health secretary Rajesh Bhushan also emphasised that such events should be promptly investigated by the rapid response teams and contacts of all positive patients are traced and tested as quickly as possible. This comes a day after Bhushan asked states to earmark separate isolation areas for Omicron infected Covid-19 patients in designated Covid facilities.
It has to be ensured that no cross-infection takes place and adequate precautions are taken by healthcare workers in these facilities to prevent transmission, Bhushan told states.
The government is also monitoring the prevalence of influenza-like illness (ILI)/severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and respiratory distress symptoms. States have also been advised to maintain adequate buffer stock for the eight critical drugs identified in clinical treatment of Covid-19.
The Centre asked states to ensure that all hospital infrastructure is ready for any possible surge in Covid-19.
“It needs to be ensured that all health facilities at the field-level have functional ventilators, PSA plants, oxygen concentrators etc. Many ventilators supplied by the Centre are still lying unpacked and unused at some field hospitals, with consumables not being procured and made available by the states,” said Bhushan.