Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan is now briefing the Election Commission on the Covid-19 situation in states where Assembly elections are scheduled to be held early next year.
The Health Secretary had on December 23 directed the poll-bound states to exponentially ramp up vaccination, especially in the low coverage districts to protect the vulnerable population.
In the backdrop of the highly infectious Omicron variant detected in several pockets of the country, the Commission is likely to seek s from Mr. Bhusan on the Covid-19 situation and the emergence of Omicron variant.
Mr. Bhushan, during the review meeting with all states, also raised a red flag that pockets with low vaccination coverage may be more vulnerable to the new Omicron variant, and that district administrations have to pay special attention to ramp up vaccination in these pockets. Elections are expected in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur early next year.
The Health Ministry has sent multidisciplinary teams to Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The teams will specifically look at five areas, contact tracing, including surveillance, containment operations, Covid-19 testing, including sending of adequate samples from clusters to INSACOG network for genome sequencing, Covid appropriate behaviour and its enforcement, availability of hospital beds, ventilators, and medical oxygen and vaccination progress.
AIR correspondent quoting sources reports, the Commission may also seek suggestions from the Health Secretary on improving its Covid-19 protocol for poll campaigning, polling days, and the dates of counting.
Tomorrow, the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commission members are scheduled to visit Uttar Pradesh to take stock of the poll preparedness in the state. The Commission has already visited Punjab, Goa, and Uttarakhand as part of its pre-poll stock-taking exercise.
