TN vigilant about new variant but no need to panic, says Ma Subramanian

Chennai: Despite health experts’ opinion on the lack of threat from the new variant of Covid, State Health Minister Ma Subramanian, on Tuesday, said that the state government is taking all preventive steps to contain the spread.

“NK Arora (chief of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI)) told me that there was no need to panic about the new variants. But we’re cautious and taking appropriate steps to prevent the spread of Omicron XE variant,” clarified Subramanian in the Assembly.

But, as a precaution, he added that the “The Chief Minister is all set to inaugurate a new 2,096-bed facility at the RGGH constructed at the cost of Rs 360 crore”.

Earlier, a special calling attention motion was introduced in the Assembly by AIADMK and former Health Minister C Vijayabaskar. He said, “Omicron XE variant is 10 per cent more virulent that the Omicron strain. There are 627 detected in the UK, and several reports mention that the variant is spreading in Thailand.” Experts have warned that the new variant will start to spread in June. Maharashtra and Kerala are already on high alert about the spread.

“There seems to be a lag in the vaccination drive of the state government,” said Vijayabaskar. Over 48 lakh people have not been administered the first dose of Covid vaccine and 1.37 crore for the second dose.

Replying to Vijayabaskar, Subramanian said that the state government had started screening international passengers and randomly subjecting them for PCR tests. He also stated that 92.37 per cent of people in Tamil Nadu have been administered the first dose of vaccine and 77.19 per cent have received the second dose.

“Tamil Nadu is the only state to undertake vaccination as a movement. Those who were left out will be covered soon,” he averred.