Some media reports are suggesting that Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has in a meeting with the Election Commission of India (ECI) yesterday suggested that the “COVID situation in the country is nothing to be worried about” and “there is no cause of alarm or concern in the view of very few cases of Omicron in the poll bound states”. Such reports are highly ill- informed, misleading and far from the truth. These reports have a very high tendency to start a mis-information campaign in the midst of a pandemic.

The Union Health Secretary in his meeting with ECI presented the overall global and domestic status of spread of COVID, as well as Omicron, in the country. Details were also presented on status of preparedness of the public health response within the States for control and management of the increasing numbers of COVID cases. The focus of the presentation was on the 5 poll bound States and their neighbouring States.