Fully prepared to fight Omicron variant of COVID-19, says Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij

Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], December 3 : Haryana Home and Health Minister Anil Vij on Friday said that the State Health Department has been fully vaccinated to fight the new Omicron variant of Coronavirus.
"We are fully prepared to fight Omicron variant," said the Haryana Health Minister.
"The Health Department has the experience of fighting the Coronavirus. The officers and employees of our health department have worked successfully in the last two waves of coronavirus," said Vij.
Vij was replying to a question asked by reporters here today regarding the new Omicron variant of the Coronavirus.
He informed that about 90 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technology oxygen plants have been set up in the state and orders have been given to operationalize them as soon as possible.
Similarly, the genome sequence is required for the investigation of the new Omicron variant of corona and for its detection, the Rockefeller organization has provided a machine free of cost to Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, which has been made operational. He said that the work of genome sequencing has started through this machine also.
Vij said that earlier all the samples had to be sent to Delhi for genome sequencing and there used to be a delay in the detection of genome sequence as it takes time to test the samples and results from there for several days. And now, this machine is working well in Rohtak. In addition, various deficiencies are being addressed to make the Health Department fully operational.
Apart from this, he further issued orders to all the Deputy Commissioners, Commissioner of Police, Inspectors General of Police and Superintendents of Police in the state to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection by ensuring that the COVID-19 protocols are strictly followed,
He further said, "If any of these protocols such as wearing masks and violating social distancing etc., then their challan should be done and the report of the challan should be presented to me."
Vij directed officials to ensure that the standard operating procedures (SOPs) or guidelines issued by the state government for public meetings and social programs etc., whether indoor and outdoor, should be strictly followed.
He also restricted officials to conduct an inspection of such public meetings or social programs should by any officer of the district.
The Health Minister said that orders have also been issued to operate ventilators in all hospitals with a capacity of more than 100 beds so that any emergency can be dealt with. He said that we have ventilators, but somewhere there was a problem of manpower, orders for re-adjustment have also been issued.
Vij said that all the records of passengers coming from abroad are being kept by the Central Government and the passengers coming negative from there are allowed to go out.
"The information about the districts related to Haryana is given by the Central Government, after that we have instructed the health teams to monitor such passengers on a daily basis," said Vij.
He said that these teams would monitor such passengers for a week and if they show symptoms of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) i.e. fever etc., they should be admitted to the hospital.