Emergency funds are used to ramp up medical infrastructure
New Delhi: Amid the rise of Omicron, which is red-flagged by the WHO (World Health Organization). The new variant is set to be almost three times faster than the Delta variant and "war rooms" are needed to contain it, the Centre has told states. It listed a series of prevention and containment measures that included extensive testing, night curfew and regulation of gatherings.
A letter issued by the health ministry said the measures taken should be based on local conditions, laying down the guidelines for what it called "threshold limits".
The thresholds, the Centre said, are test positivity of 10 per cent or more in the last one week or 40 per cent occupancy on oxygen supported or ICU beds.
The Centre also said the states and Union Territories can take "containment measures, curbs even before thresholds are reached."
The letter also talked for calling for "greater foresight, data analysis, dynamic decision making and strict and prompt containment action." The decision was made for the State/UT and district level "must be very prompt and focused and take containment measures and restrictions even before these thresholds are reached".
It has also been suggested that emergency funds be used to ramp up medical infrastructure, including hospital beds, ambulances, oxygen equipment and medication.
The number of Omicron cases has crossed the 200-mark in India, the Health Ministry has said. Maharashtra and Delhi have reported the highest number of cases of the new variant that is 54. They are followed by Telangana (20 cases), Karnataka (19), Rajasthan (18), Kerala (15) and Gujarat (14). Of them, 77 patients have recovered or migrated, the ministry added.
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