Increase in COVID cases: Union Health Minister Mandaviya to hold high-level meeting today

New Delhi: In the backdrop of a swift surge in Covid-19 cases across the nation, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is slated to conduct a comprehensive evaluation meeting on respiratory ailments and the current escalation of the coronavirus. The meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. and will bring together the Union Minister, state counterparts, and senior officials.

According to sources, the meeting will encompass discussions with Union Health Ministers, Additional Chief/Principal Secretaries (Health) of all States/UTs, and pertinent Central Ministries/Departments. The primary focus will be on assessing the preparedness of health facilities and services in light of the recent upswing in respiratory illnesses, including Influenza Like Illness/Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (ILI/SARI), with a particular emphasis on Covid-19.

Simultaneously, in response to the escalating Covid-19 cases and the identification of the new JN.1 variant in Kerala, the Health Ministry has dispatched an advisory to all states and Union Territories. The advisory underscores the imperative need for sustained vigilance and recommends that states implement necessary public health measures during the upcoming festive season. It emphasizes adherence to respiratory hygiene practices to curtail the risk of increased disease transmission.

Furthermore, states have been urged to bolster compliance with the operational guidelines for the revised surveillance strategy for Covid-19 as outlined by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Union Health Ministry has also directed states to ramp up Covid testing across all districts, ensuring adherence to testing guidelines and maintaining the recommended distribution of RT-PCR and Antigen tests.