India reported 1,59,632 new infections, the highest in 224 days.
Reviewing the COVID situation amid rising cases of the Omicron variant of the virus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for ensuring adequate health infrastructure at the district level and intensifying the vaccination drive for adolescents in a mission mode.
Noting that the coronavirus continues to evolve, Mr Modi underscored the need for continued scientific research into testing and vaccines, apart from pharmacological interventions including genome sequencing, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.
Highlighting the need to ensure effective use of masks and physical distancing measures as a new normal to control the spread of COVID, Shri Modi called for effective implementation of home isolation for mild and asymptomatic cases and large scale But called upon the community to disseminate factual information. ,
He called for a meeting with chief ministers to discuss state-specific scenarios, best practices and public health response, the PMO said.
Expressing gratitude for the tireless services rendered by the healthcare workers in managing the pandemic, he said that ensuring precautionary doses for them and other frontline workers should be taken in mission mode, it said.
A presentation was made at the meeting to highlight India’s consistent efforts towards the vaccination campaign, in which 31% of adolescents aged 15-18 years were given the first dose within seven days of the start of the campaign.