Covid Drill: Mansukh Mandaviya will oversee the drills at AIIMS in Jhajjar of Haryana. (Archive)

New Delhi:

A national drill is planned today and tomorrow to review the emergency preparedness of public and private hospitals amid a surge in Covid-19 cases.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will oversee the drills at the All India Institute Of Medical Science (AIIMS) in Jhajjar of Haryana.

Mansukh Mandaviya, at last week’s review meeting, had called on state health ministers to stay vigilant and check the readiness of health facilities.

He had said that regardless of the new variants, the fivefold strategy of ‘Test-Follow-Treat-Vaccinate and adhere to appropriate Covid behaviour’ remains the proven strategy for managing Covid.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV, the health minister assured that the government is prepared to deal with the recent increase in infections. ICU beds, oxygen supply and other critical care arrangements are ready, he said, adding there is a weekly readiness review.

Regarding a possible fourth wave of the covid pandemic, the health minister said that it is necessary to be vigilant. The last Covid mutation was Omicron’s BF.7 subvariant, and now the XBB1.16 subvariant is causing the rise in infections, he said, adding that in the ministry’s experience, the subvariants are not too dangerous.

With most of the country seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases in recent days, several states have re-mandated mask-wearing, while others advised caution.

Haryana and Puducherry have made the use of face masks mandatory in public places as a precautionary measure. Masks have also been made compulsory in schools in Haryana.

Kerala has made masks mandatory for pregnant women, the elderly and those with lifestyle-related illnesses, while Uttar Pradesh has issued a “high priority” directive, instructing officials to ensure control of international passengers at all airports.

Delhi, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh have also urged citizens to adhere to appropriate Covid behaviour.