Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday chaired a meeting with the key experts and officials in view of an upsurge of Covid-19 cases in some states.

New Delhi, June 23, 2022: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday chaired a meeting with the key experts and officials in view of an upsurge of Covid-19 cases in some states.

The meeting discussed the analysis of trend of Covid 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, and vaccination status in the meeting.

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 directed the officials to continue to focus on surveillance and on whole genome sequencing to scan for any possible mutation. He also directed monitoring hospitalisations due to Covid-19.

“As there are adequate vaccine doses available, let there be no vaccine wastage while focusing on accelerating vaccination among the eligible and vulnerable groups,” he told officials while exhorting them to increase pace of vaccination, including booster doses, in districts reporting high cases.

Along with Minister of State for Health Dr Bharati Praveen Pawar, and NITI Aayog’s Meamber, Health, Dr V.K. Paul, those present in the meeting included the government’s Principal Scientific Advisor, Dr Ajay K Sood, Department of Biotechnology Secretary, Dr Rajesh Gokhale, AYUSH Secretary, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Indian Council of Medical Research Director General, Dr Balram Bhargava, AIIMS Director, Dr Randeep Guleria, NTAGI’s Covid Task Group, Dr N.K. Arora, NCDC Director, Dr Sujeet Singh, and senior Health Ministry officials.