LUCKNOW: To zero in on possible carriers of Omicron variant of coronavirus, the Uttar Pradesh government launched a focused six-day testing drive on Wednesday.
The campaign aims at intensifying testing and conducting focused activities in vulnerable pockets.
Additional chief secretary (ACS), health and family welfare, Amit Mohan Prasad said while prevention and adherence to Covid-19 protocol was the best defence against the virus, including the new strain Omicron, surveillance activities had been intensified and focused testing was being carried out in the state.
According to health officials, the special testing drive has been divided in such a way that the entire state gets covered and the risk of further transmission is kept under check.
For the first three days, the drive will be conducted in schools and higher education institutes, including engineering colleges.
The campaign will cover hospitals and medical colleges for the remaining three days. A government spokesman said Covid-19 situation was being monitored and the objective of the drive was to enable early detection, followed by early treatment.
The ACS reiterated that soon after the new variant of SARS CoV2, B.1.1.529 (Omicron), was declared as a ‘variant of concern’ by the World Health Organisation, the UP government initiated prompt action by putting health teams in all the 75 districts on alert.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed for intensified surveillance with focus on airports, railway stations and bus stands to ensure that normalcy prevails in the state.
Prasad said over 73,000 surveillance committees would pay house visits and identify patients with illness. “While the current situation does not warrant panic or worry, the government has put over 73,000 surveillance committees on alert to ensure thorough screening and timely identification, isolation and treatment of people showing mild symptoms,” he added.
To undertake genome sequencing of Covid-19 variants, the state government has directed officials to ramp up facilities at BSL-4 labs. The departments concerned have been asked to carry out extensive cleanliness, sanitization and fogging drives to prevent the spread of other diseases.
