Sri Vijaya Puram, May 26: Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in the national capital, health officials in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have confirmed that the Union Territory remains on active surveillance and is fully prepared to handle any potential resurgence of the virus.
Authorities have reassured the public that while there is no significant rise in COVID-19 cases on the islands this year, precautionary measures remain in place. Isolation wards are functional, oxygen support systems are adequate, and essential medical supplies are stocked to respond swiftly to any emergencies.
“Though there are currently no alarming trends, we continue to maintain heightened surveillance and are fully equipped to respond,” a senior health official said.
This comes in the wake of a fresh circular issued by the Delhi government on May 23, urging all government and private hospitals to ramp up COVID-19 preparedness. The directive, issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), mandates hospitals to ensure the availability of beds, oxygen, antibiotics, vaccines, and operational equipment such as ventilators, Bi-PAP machines, and oxygen concentrators.
Healthcare institutions in Delhi have also been instructed to retrain their COVID-19 response teams and report cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) daily on the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP). Testing protocols have been reinforced, with 5% of ILI cases and all SARI cases required to undergo COVID-19 testing. Positive samples are to be sent to Lok Nayak Hospital for whole-genome sequencing to track emerging variants.
Hospitals are also expected to update data daily on the State Health Data Management Portal and enforce mask usage and respiratory hygiene within their premises.
While the advisory is currently limited to Delhi, health departments across the country are urging citizens to stay vigilant, follow COVID-appropriate behaviour, and seek timely medical care if symptomatic.
In the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, no fresh restrictions have been imposed yet, but authorities remain in close coordination with national health agencies and have assured that preventive steps will be taken if needed.
