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Updated January 6th, 2022 at 10:14 IST

COVID-19: Health Secretary to brief ECI officials ahead of polls amid rising Omicron cases

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan will hold a meeting with the officials of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and brief them on the Covid situation.

Reported by: Nikita Bishay
COVID-19
Image: ANI/PTI | Image:self
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In view of surging COVID-19 cases followed by fear over the highly transmissible Omicron variant across the country, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan will hold a meeting with the officials of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and further brief them over the COVID-19 situation in the country. The meeting came in the backdrop of the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled for five states in the coming months. 

Amid rising COVID-19 cases, Rajesh Bhushan holds meeting with ECI officials 

NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr VK Paul will also attend the briefing along with other officials on Thursday. The meeting is likely to start at 11 AM and will see major discussions on the pandemic situation specifically focused on Omicron in the poll-bound states to hold elections followed by discussions on the vaccination drive and vaccination status. Notably, the five states to hold elections in the upcoming months are Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa, and Punjab where major political parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, and Samajwadi Party (SP) have already cancelled parties rallies and meetings amid concerns of transmission. 

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has already directed poll-bound states to accelerate their vaccination coverage especially in the areas expecting elections this year. Also, in a recent letter to the chief secretaries of these states, the poll body reminded that the polling agents coming under the category of frontline workers are also eligible for the booster shots, reported PTI.

The EC is yet to announce the election dates for the five concerned states and a decision on the same is expected very soon based on the COVID-19 situation. 

Image: PTI/ANI

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Published January 6th, 2022 at 10:14 IST

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