Covid updates: Mandaviya to meet state health ministers; hospitals plan mock drills

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will hold a meeting with state health ministers and union territories on Friday over rising COVID-19 cases and preparedness.

According to sources, the meeting will be held at 3 pm on Friday. This comes as Mandaviya made a suo-motu statement in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday on India's preparedness.

He added that the focus is to ensure that no unknown variant of the virus enters India and at the same time there is no impediment to travelling.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting wherein he directed officials to strengthen the ongoing surveillance measures, especially at international airports. 

Modi had also urged people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour, including wearing masks in crowded public places, especially in view of the upcoming festive season.

Meanwhile, government hospitals across the country will hold mock drills from Tuesday. 

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will also visit a government hospital in Delhi for the drill.

The Union Health Ministry added that it is preparing fresh guidelines for Christmas and New Year, reported sources.

The Centre has also approved nasal vaccines which will be used as a heterologous booster.

The needle-free vaccine will be available first in private hospitals. It will be included in COVID 19 vaccination program from Friday, according to official sources.

It will be introduced on the Co-WIN platform on Friday evening, they said. The nasal vaccine BBV154 received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India in November for restricted use in an emergency for those above 18 as a heterologous booster dose.