With a rise in Covid-19 cases being reported across the country, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on June 11 assured that the state has made comprehensive preparations to manage the situation effectively.
Addressing the media, Pathak emphasized that there was no cause for alarm, as health experts have currently linked the surge to mild symptoms like fever and cold. “Only vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with serious health issues need to exercise caution,” he said, adding that the state is fully prepared with resources in place across hospitals and oxygen plants. “We’re conducting thorough reviews and ensuring readiness at every level,” he noted.
In a related move, the UP government recently issued a directive to regularize the employment of over 2,800 healthcare workers who served during the earlier waves of the pandemic. So far, more than 2,200 of them have been absorbed into permanent roles, with instructions sent out to government hospitals to prioritize placement of the remaining staff.
This development comes amid a national uptick in Covid-19 cases, with 6,815 active cases reported as of June 10. According to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), 163 cases of a newly identified Covid-19 variant, XFG, have surfaced across the country.
Former ICMR Director General Dr. Balram Bhargava commented that the appearance of the XFG variant is a part of the virus’s natural mutation process. However, he reassured that India is well-equipped to detect and manage such variants, thanks to extensive use of advanced diagnostic tools like Truenat.
