PM Narendra Modi holds meeting on COVID preparedness

 NEW DELHI: Amid rising cases of coronavirus across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the status and preparedness of the public health response to COVID-19 and influenza.

During the meeting, he advised precaution and the maintenance of vigilance, and also emphasized the need to enhance lab surveillance and testing of all severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) cases.

PM Modi also called for ramping up genome sequencing.

The Prime Minister also directed the Health Ministry officials to conduct mock drills in hospitals to ensure preparedness.

He underlined the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over and that there is a need to monitor the status across the country on a regular basis. Modi advised the continuation of focus on the five-fold strategy of test-track-Treat-Vaccination and Covid Appropriate Behaviour, enhancing Lab Surveillance and testing of all Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases.

He urged the maintenance of hygiene standards and COVID-appropriate behaviour.

In the meeting, PM Modi was briefed that India has been witnessing a slight rise in new cases, with an average daily case count of 888 and a weekly positivity rate of 0.98 percent in the week ending March 22, 2023.

However, 1.08 lakh daily average cases have been reported globally during the same week.

The action taken on the directions given by the Prime Minister during the last COVID-19 review held on December 22, 2022, was also discussed.

The Prime Minister was told that the availability and prices of 20 main COVID drugs, 12 other drugs, eight buffer drugs, and one influenza drug are being monitored.

The meeting was attended by P.K. Mishra, principal secretary to the PM, V.K. Paul, member (health) Niti Aayog, cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba, health secretary, director general of ICMR, and other senior officials. (IANS)

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