COVID BF.7 variant: Mock drills across India conducted to check preparations amid global surge in cases

Punjab and Haryana health ministers on Tuesday monitored the Covid mock drills in various government hospitals of their states, conducted as part of a nationwide exercise to check preparedness to deal with any surge in cases. Punjab Health Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra took stock of the mock drill held at district hospital, Mohali, where he visited the 120-bed special Covid Isolation Ward in the hospital and inquired about the availability of oxygen, ventilators, health staff, and essential medicines, among other facilities.
 

 Health institutions across Jammu and Kashmir conducted mock drills on Tuesday to check their preparedness to deal with any situation due to coronavirus. Health and Medical Education Secretary Bhupinder Kumar, who monitored the exercise, said it is aimed to assess the readiness of key health facilities and their logistical requirement. The drills were conducted as part of a nationwide exercise to check the readiness of health facilities to deal with any surge in cases. The secretary expressed satisfaction over the successful completion of mock drills.

Maharashtra on Tuesday recorded 26 new cases of coronavirus that raised the tally of infections to 81,36,552, an official from the state health department said. The toll remained unchanged at 1,48,415 and the count of recoveries reached 79,87,972 after 15 patients recovered from the infection during the day, he said. With 9,681 swab samples tested in the last 24 hours, the total number of tests conducted in the state so far rose to 8,58,76,790, the official said.

Health authorities in Goa conducted mock drills at designated hospitals, including the super speciality block at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), on Tuesday to check the state's preparedness to deal with rise in COVID-19 cases. State Health Secretary Arun Kumar Mishra, who supervised the mock drill at the GMCH, said the state is geared up to face any situation. Talking to reporters at the super speciality block of the GMCH, Mishra said intensive care units, oxygen plants, medicine supplies, wards among other facilities were checked during the mock drill.

Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia visited Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital to review Covid Mock drill. 

Bharat Biotech, one of Covid vaccine manufacturers, has announced the nasal vaccine costing for the public. One dose of the vasal vaccine will cost Rs 800 plus taxes at private hospitals and the Centre and the state governments can buy the nasal vaccine for Rs  325, Bharat Biotech has announced.

COVID-19 nasal vaccine iNNOVACC is now available on CoWin, priced at Rs 800 for private markets and Rs 325 for Government authorities. It will be rolled out in the fourth week of January and also to be rolled out as booster dose for those above 18 years of age.

District Disaster Management Authority withdrew its order of deploying school teachers on Covid duty at Delhi airport from December 31 to January 15. The authority said if needed, civil defence staff will be deployed at the airport.

Teachers of Delhi government schools will be deployed at Delhi airport from December 31 to January 15 to ensure that Covid appropriate behaviour is followed by passengers arriving from abroad. Schools will remain closed in Delhi during this period due to winter vacations.

Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian visited Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital in Chennai to review Covid mock drill. 

The mock drill to check covid preparedness is being conducted at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital in Guwahati. 

"The mock drill is being conducted today to see how prepared we are. We need to have full monitoring & keep all the logistics ready. There is excess oxygen in our state. If any shortcoming is found (during mock drill), it will be addressed," said BK Mohapatra, Director, Health Services, Odisha

The mock drill to ensure Covid management preparedness is conducted at (MCH) Hospital, Gandhi Nagar in Jammu. 

"To make sure there isn't Covid surge in the country, PM Modi has asked us to be careful. The government is also preparing if at all the covid cases increase. Today's mock drills are conducted across covid hospitals in the country to make sure people get proper treatment," said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

Also Read: Hospitals across India conduct mock drills to review COVID preparedness: 10 points

"We are making efforts so that Covid 19 could not spread," said Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reached Delhi's Safdarjung hospital to oversee a mock drill in the fight against Covid.

Delhi authorities began visiting all government hospitals to ascertain their preparedness to deal with the COVID surge on Tuesday.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday directed officials concerned to be prepared to meet any challenge, if need be, by preparing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to treat COVID-19 cases at village clinics with facilities to test and treat the new sub-variant of the virus. An official release from the CMO said Reddy held a review meeting on the challenges of the new sub-variant BF. 7, construction of teaching hospitals and village clinics.

Amid the fear of a surge in COVID-19 cases, Mumbai's civic body on Monday said it was gearing up by creating special wards and replenishing medicine stocks as well as oxygen facilities. Nations like China, Japan and the United States of America are seeing a spike in cases, believed to be caused by BF. 7, a sub variant of Omicron. A Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation statement said it was working on 26 different aspects to tackle any emergency. "These include preparation of oxygen beds, ventilators, medicines, ICU beds, training of nurses and paramedical staff and maintaining sufficient stock of medicines," it said.

Mumbai on Monday reported five COVID-19 cases, which took the tally to 11,55,098, while the death toll remained unchanged at 19,746, a civic official said. The recovery count increased by six in the last 24 hours and reached 11,35,303, leaving the metropolis with 49 active cases, he said. As per Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation data, the recovery rate was 98. 3 per cent and the caseload doubling time was 1,09,165 days. 

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday convened a meeting with top health officials to review the state's COVID preparedness. Soren directed the officials for advance planning to deal with the new BF. 7 sub-variant of Omicron and focus on five-fold strategy of test-track-treat-vaccination and adherence to COVID-appropriate behaviour. He also asked the officials to prepare the hospitals and ensure adequate availability of beds including those supported with oxygen supply, besides medicines and oxygen cylinders.

Following the Centre's directions, a mock drill will be held in hospitals across the states and UTs on Tuesday to check their readiness for Covid management.

Hospitals across Delhi will conduct mock drills on December 27 to assess their preparedness, including availability of beds and manpower, to deal with any increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Monday.