Health minister stresses on surveillance and genome sequencing as COVID-19 cases mount

Representative image.

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, on June 23, chaired a high level meeting to review status of COVID-19 in the country and directed officials to focus on surveillance and genome sequencing, apart from monitoring hospitalization.

He also urged for ramping up testing and accelerating COVID-19 vaccination of eligible population.

The meeting entailed a detailed discussion on global scenario of surge in COVID-19 cases and status of infection in the country.

This included presentation and analysis of trend of COVID-19 cases, daily and active cases, positivity and deaths, testing status along with state-wise weekly tests per million, RT-PCR share in weekly tests, genome sequencing apart from vaccination status.

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Mandaviya stressed on the need to focus on districts reporting high case positivity and undertake adequate testing with higher proportion of RT-PCR and effective COVID-19 surveillance to assess and control the spread of infection in a timely manner.

He instructed the officials to continue to focus on surveillance and on whole genome sequencing to scan for any possible mutation and keeping a close watch on hospitalizations due to COVID-19, and severe acute respiratory syndrome and influenza-like illnesses.

The minister has been asking states to increase pace of vaccination including booster doses in districts reporting high cases.

“As there is adequate vaccine doses available, let there be no vaccine wastage while focusing on accelerating vaccination among the eligible and vulnerable groups”, said Mandaviya.