'States Asked To Ensure People Wear Masks, Maintain Social Distancing', Says Health Minister In LS Amid Covid Scare: Top Points

Mandaviya said in Lok Sabha that the states have been asked to ensure that people wear masks, maintain social distancing and use sanitisers in the wake of the festive and new year season.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

New Delhi: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said in Lok Sabha that the states have been asked to ensure that people wear masks, maintain social distancing and use sanitisers in the wake of the festive and new year season. “In the wake of festive & new year season, states are advised to make sure people wear masks, use sanitisers and maintain social distancing along with increasing awareness for precautionary doses,” Mandaviya said in Lok Sabha.

Here Are The Top Points:

• Centre has advised states to increase genome-sequencing to timely identify the new variant of Covid-19. We are keeping an eye on the global covid situation and are taking steps accordingly, Mansukh Mandaviya said in Lok Sabha.
• The health dept has been quite proactive in managing the Covid-19 pandemic. The central govt has provided financial assistance to states in fighting against the pandemic. So far, 220 cr covid vaccine shots have been given, Mandaviya told Lok Sabha.
• Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said that the government has started random RT-PCR sampling among the passengers arriving at International airports in the country amid the recent surge of Coronavirus infection in various countries including China, Japan, South Korea, France, and the United States.
• Mandaviya then claimed that the number of Covid cases is depleting in India despite its surge across the world.
• Mandaviya chaired a high-level meeting on Wednesday to review the COVID-19 situation in India and the preparedness of the public health system for surveillance, containment, and management of COVID-19. He urged people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and get vaccinated against the virus.
• Mandaviya emphasised that Covid-19 is not over yet and asked the officials to be fully geared up and strengthen surveillance.
• Mandaviya has already directed the officials to be fully geared up and strengthen the surveillance system for whole genome sequencing of positive case samples to track the variants through the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) network to ensure the timely detection of newer variants, if any, circulating in the country. 

Haven't Done Any Politics On Covid: Mandaviya In Rajya Sabha

We haven't done any politics on covid. Oxygen plants have been set up in big hospitals across the country & are being run. We have reviewed the adequate amount of medicines in the country, Mansukh Mandaviya told Rajya Sabha.