<span style="color: #222222;">Centre today reviewed Public Health Response to COVID-19 in the light of emergence of OMICRON and Progress of Vaccination with States and Union Territories. The five-fold strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate-adherence to COVID Appropriate Behaviour was highlighted as the mainstay of public health response strategy for effective and timely control and management of COVID19 and its variants.</span> <br />''<br />''During the meeting, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan urged the States and UTs to enhance testing and focus on surveillance to ensure early identification of the suspected cases for their prompt isolation and further clinical management. They were advised to ensure availability of RT-PCR testing in all districts. <br />''<br />''He said, districts reporting higher case positivity rate were alerted to monitor the case trajectory on a regular basis, and to promptly dispatch positive samples to the mapped Genomics Consortium labs for whole genome sequencing. It was re-emphasised that all contacts for positive patients are to be traced and tested as per protocol as quickly as possible.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">In order to ensure that all hospital infrastructure is ready for any possible surge in cases, States and UTs were advised to review their readiness for providing quality medical care. The Health Secretary also urged the States to ensure to maintain adequate buffer stock for the eight critical drugs identified in clinical treatment of COVID-19. States were also advised to continue increasing the pace and coverage of COVID19 nationwide vaccination drive with focus on the ongoing 'Har GharDastak' campaign for ensuring full vaccination of all eligible population.</span>