Telangana set up panel to take stock of Omicron

The state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao at Pragathi Bhavan on Monday took stock of the health department's preparedness to tackle the new Covid variant Omicron.

In the meeting, it was decided to appoint a Cabinet sub-committee headed by health minister T. Harish Rao and comprising ministers K. T. Rama Rao, Errabelli Dayakar Rao and Sabitha Indra Reddy recommended measures to be taken to check Omicron and to speed up vaccination in the state.

The Cabinet meeting which went on for nearly five hours, started with discussion on Omicron. It reviewed the availability of medicines, oxygen beds, equipment, vaccines, human resources etc to deal with Covid new variant effectively in case of an outbreak in the coming days.

Senior officials of the medical



and health department were called for the Cabinet meeting. The health officials submitted a report to the Cabinet on the action plan they devised to tackle the new Covid variant. The Cabinet asked health officials to increase Covid tests in all the districts. Health officials informed the Cabinet that the department was fully geared up to face any situation and required medicines, equipment, human resources etc were fully available in the state.

The Cabinet directed the health officials to remain on high alert and make all the arrangements to deal with Covid new variants. It also directed them to speed up vaccination drive in all the districts with special emphasis on Adilabad, Asifabad, Nirmal, Mahbubnagar, Narayanpet and Gadwal districts, which are lagging behind in vaccination.