Omicron scare: Centre asks states to 'Activate' War Rooms, consider night curfew

NEW DELHI: Amid rise in Omicron variant in India, the Centre on Tuesday asked states and union territories to "activate" war rooms, keep analyzing even small trends and surges and keep taking strict and prompt containment action at district and local levels.

In a letter to the states and union territories, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan advised implementing strategic interventions for containment like imposition of night curfew, strict regulation of large gatherings, curtailing numbers in marriages and funerals besides increasing testing and surveillance.

The letter highlights measures that need to be taken in view of initial signs of surge in cases of Covid-19 as well as increased detection of the variant of concern Omicron in different parts of the country.

"At the district level, there should be a constant review of emerging data regarding the population affected by Covid-19, geographical spread, hospital infrastructure and its utilization, manpower, notifying containment zones, enforcement of perimeter of containment zones etc. This evidence should be the basis for effective decision making at the district level itself.

"Such a strategy ensures that infection is contained at the local level itself before it spreads to other parts of the state," Bhushan said in the letter.

"Kindly activate the war rooms/EOCs (emergency operation centres) and keep analyzing all trends and surges, no matter how small and keep taking proactive action at the district/local level. Regular reviews with field officers and proactive action in this regard will definitely control the spread of infection and flatten the curve," he said.