On account of Omicron confirmation, WHO urges South-East Asia Region to strengthen COVID-19 response measures

December 4, Kathmandu: Following the confirmation of two cases of Omicron in India, the World Health Organisation has said that the South-East Asia Region should further consolidate COVID-19 response measures to control the spread of the virus and its variants.

Regional Director of the WHO South-East Asia Region, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, in a statement on Friday said strengthening surveillance to rapidly detect importation of any new variant and transmission of existing virus and its variants, implementing calibrated public health and social measures and scaling up vaccination coverage should continue to be our focus.

India on Thursday confirmed two cases of the new variant which the WHO has classed as ‘of concern’ within a week of the announcement of the spread of the virus.