There was no need to panic over the XE variant of COVID-19 as the State has the infrastructure to handle any situation, Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan said.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Hospital here on Saturday, Mr. Radhakrishnan said that none from the State had so far tested positive for the new variant. The State was prepared to check the virus effectively if it were to spread here, he asserted.
“As it is said that XE variant can spread fast, there is a need to watch out the scenario in South Asian countries including Thailand and Singapore, besides China. However, there is no need to panic as the State has a well-established system of surveillance, prevention, detection and treatment protocol of COVID-19 patients,” he said.
At the moment, there was no need for heightened surveillance measures at the international airports. However, 2% of international passengers landing at airports in the State would be subjected for COVID-19 tests at random, he added.
He said that instructions had been given to health officials across the State to test persons, with symptoms and recent travel history to foreign countries, for COVID-19. The situation would be monitored daily so as to take quick remedial measures. The immediate priority was to fully vaccinate 1.37 crore persons, who were yet to get second dose of vaccination. Based on the advice of the Centre, the State government would issue an advisory shortly, asking the people to get booster dose in private centres and hospitals.
Answering a query, Mr. Radhakrishnan said that there was sufficient infrastructure at the Government Medical College in Ramanathapuram to handle the 50 MBBS students of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Madurai, admitted to it in addition to the already sanctioned strength of the college. The Union Health Minister is expected to visit Madurai to review the progress in establishing the AIIMS campus in Madurai. He would also visit the medical college at Ramanathapuram.
