Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has asked states to step up vigil and prepare for mass gatherings or yatras in the coming months in order to ensure that participants travelling within the states and across do not carry Covid-19 infection.
Bhushan also held a video-conferencing meeting with 14 states that are still reporting an upswing in cases and asked them to strengthen surveillance and report any out-of-the-ordinary or different clinical profile of patients.
To prepare for the upcoming yatras, states have been asked to publicise that all individuals planning to participate in these events should be symptom-free and preferably fully vaccinated. States are required to organise special drives, if needed, to immunise people a fortnight before any such event.
The states have also been asked to publicise and make arrangements for adequate testing, as also to organise health facilities and health desks en route, with volunteer organisations promoting and ensuring that Covid-appropriate behaviour is followed.
The letter states that additional precautions should be taken by the elderly and those with comorbidities, including continuation of medication and close monitoring of symptoms.
It states that all prayer meetings, seating and lodging arrangements should be made outdoor, or in well-ventilated areas.
In the meeting with the 14 states, NITI Aayog member (health) Dr V K Paul advised the states to strengthen proactive surveillance of all Covid-19 patients, as also those with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI), influenza-like illnesses (ILI) along with genomic sequencing. States were asked to report data-backed clinical manifestations to the Health Ministry to help identify changes in clinical profile at an early stage.
They have also been asked to “rapidly accelerate” vaccination coverage, especially in those above the age of 60 years and second dose among children between 12 and 17 years.
Paul and Bhushan also said Covid-19 testing levels were low across states, with a drop in the share of more accurate RT-PCR.
States have been advised to strategically test those coming to fever clinics, cases of SARI and ILI, along with new clusters.
Other than that, Bhushan urged the states to process claims under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package for healthcare workers expeditiously to ensure that dues are paid to public healthcare providers, including community health workers, who have died due to coronavirus.
