'Activate' war rooms, emergency operation centres: Govt tells states, UTs

New Delhi: Asserting that the Omicron variant is at least three times more transmissible than Delta, the Centre on Tuesday asked states and Union Territories to "activate" war rooms, keep analysing even small trends and surges and keep taking strict and prompt containment action at district and local levels.

Two hundred cases of the Omicron variant have been detected across 12 states and UTs in India so far out of which 77 patients have recovered or migrated, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

Maharashtra and Delhi have recorded 54 cases of Omicron variant each, while Telangana registered 20 cases, Karnataka 19, Rajasthan 18, Kerala 15 and Gujarat 14 cases.

At least 64 cases of 4.2 variant of Covid have been reported in the country as on December 16, Union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

These include 42 cases from Chhattisgarh, 11 from Gujarat, 4 from Tamil Nadu, 3 from Bihar, 2 from Assam and one case each from Maharashtra and Telangana.

In a letter to the states and UTs, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan advised implementing strategic interventions for containment like imposition of night curfew, strict regulation of large gatherings, curtailing numbers in marriages and funerals besides increasing testing and surveillance.

The letter also stressed measures that need to be taken in view of initial signs of a surge in cases of Covid-19 as well as increased detection of the variant of concern Omicron in different parts of the country.

"At the district level, there should be a constant review of emerging data regarding the population affected by Covid-19, geographical spread, hospital infrastructure and its utilisation, manpower, notifying containment zones, enforcement of perimeter of containment zones etc. This evidence should be the basis for effective decision making at the district level itself," Bhushan said in the letter.

"Such a strategy ensures that infection is contained at the local level itself before it spreads to other parts of the state," he said.

"Kindly activate the war rooms/EOCs (emergency operation centres) and keep analyzing all trends and surges, no matter how small and keep taking proactive action at the district/local level. Regular reviews with field officers and proactive action in this regard will definitely control the spread of infection and flatten the curve," he said. "In case of all new clusters of Covid positive cases, prompt notification of "containment zones", "buffer zones" should be done, strict perimeter control of containment zone according to extant guidelines must be ensured. All cluster samples must be sent to INSACOG Labs for Genome Sequencing without delay," the Secretary said.

The letter also highlighted that test positivity of 10 per cent or more in the last one week or bed occupancy of 40 per cent or more on oxygen supported or ICU beds should be the main elements of the framework to be used by states and Union Territories to facilitate decision making at the district level.

"Based on current scientific evidence, the VOC (a variant of concern) Omicron is at least three times more transmissible than the Delta VOC. Besides, the Delta VOC is still present in different parts of the country," he said.

States and UTs have been asked to increase bed capacity, other logistics like ambulances, a mechanism for seamless shifting of patients, availability and operational readiness of oxygen equipment, a buffer stock of drugs to be ensured by prompt utilisation of Emergency Covid Response Package (ECRP-II) funds.

"Ensure stringent enforcement of home isolation as per extant guidelines. This would include, among others, customized kit for persons undergoing home isolation, their regular monitoring through call centres as well as home visits etc," he said.

Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday that there is no evidence to suggest that existing vaccines do not work on the Omicron variant, though some of the mutations reported on the spike gene may decrease the efficacy of existing vaccines.

"There are limited available data, and no peer-reviewed evidence, on vaccine efficacy or effectiveness to date for Omicron," Union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in a written reply. He was responding to a question on whether the vaccinations that are given in the country are effective to develop immunity for this variant.

"However, vaccine protection is also by antibodies as well as by cellular immunity, which is expected to be relatively better preserved. Hence vaccines are expected to still offer protection against severe disease and, vaccination with the available vaccines remains crucial," he added.