Lok Sabha Question No. 1987 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-12
Subject: Guidelines to Prevent Spread of COVID-19 Variant
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Veena Devi, M. K. Raghavan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1987 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12 TH FEBRUARY, 2021

## GUIDELINES TO PREVEN T SPREAD OF COVID - 19 VARIANT

## 1987. SHRIMATI VEENA DEVI: SHRI M.K. RAGHAVAN:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WE LFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has issued guidelines to States/UTs for preventing the spread of new variant/ strain of COVID - 19;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the other remedial measures taken by the Government to contain the COVID - 19 virus?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) & (b):   Yes. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued Standard Operating Procedure for Epidemiological Surveillance & Response for the new variant of SARS - CoV - 2  for preventing the spread of new variant / strain of covid - 19 on 1 st January 2021 and updated on 30.01.2021 (available at

https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/Extens ionofvalidityofStandardOperatingProcedureforEpidemiolo gicalSurveillance&ResponseforthenewvariantofSARSCoV2.pdf)

- (c):An updated brief action taken report is attached as Annexure .

## COVID -19: Action Taken Report (as on 10 th February 2021)

Government of India has taken a series of actions to prevent, control and mitigate the impact of -19 . India followed a  whole  of  Government and whole of society approach. Hon'ble Prime Minister, a High- level Group of Ministers (GoM ), Cabinet Secretary, Committee of Secretaries and senior officers MoHFW continue to monitor public health response to COVID - 19 in the country.

The public health actions were taken in a pre - emptive, pro - active, graded manner based on the evolving scena rio. A number of travel advisories were issued restricting inflow of international travelers time, commercial flights were suspended on 23 rd March 2020. Till then, a total of 14,154 flights with 15,24,266 passengers have been screened at these a irports.

International travelers traveling to India under Vande Bharat Mission and Transport Bubble schem being screened at the airport. As on 9 th February 2021, a total of 42.5 lakh passengers and crew members have been screened at the airports. Itis a pre - requisite for such travelers to bring negative COVID - 19 test reports on get themselves at the airport, failing they have to undergo institutional quarantine.

In view of detection of mutant variant of SARS - CoV - 2 in United Kingdom, all flights orig inating from U.K  into  India  were  suspended  temporarily  from  22 nd December  to  7 th January  2021.  Regulated resumption of limited flights originating from United Kingdom (UK) to India has been allowed fro th January 2021.

Community  surveillance  through  Inte gra d  Disease  Surveillance  Program  is  ongoing  in  containment zones in accordance with COVID - 19 containment plan.

The laboratory network is continuously being strengthened. As of 7 th February 2021, total operational (initiated  independent  testing)  govern ment  laboratories  reporting  to  ICMR  is  1214.  In  addition,  1159 Private Laboratories have been approved for COVID - 19 Testing. A total of 20,33,24,655 samples have been tested as on 9 th February 2021. At present India is testing about a 7 - 8  lakh  samples  a  da y. The cumulative confirmation percentage of samples tested has been falling steadily and is currently a Many States are recording a confirmation percentage of less than 5% (recommended by WHO).

As on 10 th February 2021, a total of 15,231 COVID tre atment facilities with 12,49,538 dedicated isolation bed without O2 support have been created. Also, a total of 2,67,394 oxygen supported isolation be 79259 ICU beds (including 40,262 ventilator beds).

Clinical  management  guidelines  for  COVID - 19  havebeen  updated  from  time  to  time  based  on  the emerging evidence and have been widely disseminated. To study more about COVID sequelae, follow u clinics  have  been  established  in  AIIMS  and  other  Central  Government  hospitals.  A  Post - COVID Management  Protocol was  released  by  Ministry  of  Health  &Family  Welfare,  that  followed  a  holisti approach -a blend of treatment from modern medicine as well as AYUSH system of medicine.

States are being supported in terms of supply of logistics. So far 1.69 crore of PPE Kits , 4.08 crores N - 95 masks, 11.16 crore tablets of Hydroxychloroquine, 38,948 ventilators and 1,02,400 oxygen cylinders been supplied to States/UTs/ Central Government hospitals so far (as reported on 10 th February 2021).  In addition, oxygen concentrat ors have also been supplied to States.

On the drug development front, the Principal Scientific Advisor to the GoI, has constituted a S Group on COVID19. Under the aegis of the S& T Core Group on COVID19, a Task Force has been constituted focused on Repurposing of Drugs for COVID - 19.

Two COVID - 19 vaccines (Covishield & Covaxin) have received approval of Drug Controller General f Restricted Emergency Use and a rollout of the same has been started from 16 th January 2021. Both the vaccines  have  established  safety  &  immunogenicity.  As  on  10 th February,  2021,  a  total  of  66,11,561 persons  have  been  vaccinated  against  COVID - 19.  In  addition,  4  other  vaccines  (from  Zydus  Cadila, Sputnik V , Biological E and Gennova) are in various phases of clinical trial in India.

Logistic requirements, preparedness planning and resource allocation has been put up in place. more than 28,000 cold chain points are being utilized to store and distribute COVID - 19 vaccine to ensure that vaccine reach to the last point. GOI/ manu facturers will distribute vaccines to state stores. States distribute this further to regional, divisional and district stores.

Co - WIN: Digital Platform for COVID 19 Vaccination Delivery has been developed and is being used f inventory  management and  delivery  of  COVID - 19  vaccines,  including  tracking  of  the  vaccination process.

Various cadres of personnel and volunteers across sectors and departments for COVID related works maintenance of other essential medical services have been worked out, tr ained through resources made available on the website of MoHFW ,iGOT (online platform) by DOPT ( https://igot.gov.in/igot/ ).Close to 1.36 million courses have been registered into till date. This includes 5,710 Doc tors, 86,137 AYUSH professionals,  4,103  Nurses,  967  Allied  Health  Professionals,  5,884  frontline  workers,  2, volunteers and 26,25,914 other participants. About 19.22 lakh course completions have taken pla iGOT -Diksha platform.

MoHFW website isbeing daily to provide general public with information on current status of COVID - 19 spread in India. Communication material is also being hosted on MoHFW website and through soci media.  Prime  Minister  on  8 th October,  2020  launched  the  'Jan  Andolan  for  C OVID - 19  Appropriate Behavior' campaign in view of the upcoming festivals and winter season as well as the opening up of the economy. The campaign aims to encourage People's Participation (Jan Andolan). It endeavors to be a low- cost high intensity campaign with  the  key  messages  of  'Wear  Mask,  Follow  Physical  Distancing, Maintain Hand Hygiene'.

Ministry of Ayush, Department of Health Research, Department of Science and Technology, Departmen of Bio - technology, Defence Research Development Organization and oth er research institutions are in the forefront of research ranging from epidemiology, natural history of the disease, genomics, diag therapeutics, vaccines etc.

Under the 'India COVID19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness package' of R s 15,000 crores has been approved by the Cabinet on 22 nd April 2020 with an objective to prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID - 19. As up to 15 th January 2021, Rs 11,361.67 have been utilized for the same. Of this, Rs.6309.90 crore has be en released to the States/UTs, through Agency -National Health Mission (NHM).