All Covid cases must be treated as Omicron until proven otherwise — Health official

Dimapur, Jan. 17 (EMN): Dr.Tiasunup Pongener, Joint Director of Department of Health and Family Welfare and nodal officer for Mokokchung district on Covid-19 stated that all positive Covid-19 cases should be considered as the Omicron variant until proven otherwise.

Pongener was speaking during a meeting on preparedness for Omicron wave at the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Mokokchung on Monday.

He said that there is an increase in Covid cases in few districts of Nagaland in the last few days, and observed that the level of preparedness in Mokokchung was ‘satisfactory’.

While stressing on managing the check gate, he said that Health department alone cannot manage due to shortage of human resource, and therefore called upon other allied departments like administration, police department etc to continue to co-ordinate in checking the vaccination cards and testing report, an update stated.

He said two doses of vaccination certificate should be made mandatory for travelers entering or going to other districts and that Covid vaccination should also improve.

He also said that in order to shoulder the Covid Hospital Mokokchung, Mangkolemba CHC and Changtongya CHC would also function as Covid designated hospitals during the Omicron wave.

Involvement of stake holders, private practitioners and private hospitals during Covid pandemic, home isolation, testing strategy, medicines, test kits and consumables and ambulance were also discussed, it said. It further stated that the district should strengthen and come up with new initiatives for Advocacy Communication and Social Mobilisation(ACSM) with regard to Covid Appropriate Behaviours (CAB)such as  self monitoring, early treatment vaccination etc  using church platforms , radio talk, print media and social media etc.