PM Modi reviews COVID situation in Varanasi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reviewed the COVID-19 situation in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, and stressed the need for vaccination of everyone over 45 years of age.

He asked the local administration to help people with full sensitivity and asserted that the cooperation of society as well as the government is necessary to curb the pandemic.

According to a statement, Modi emphasised on implementing 'tracking, tracing and testing', saying this has to be fully followed to check the virus' spread in the same manner the first wave was curbed.

Speaking to local officials and people's representatives, the prime minister asked the administration to ensure that preventive measures like social distancing and the use of masks are practised.

"The prime minister underlined the importance of the vaccination exercise and asked the administration to raise awareness among everyone over 45 years about it," the statement said.

As the member of Parliament from Varanasi, he has also been taking regular feedback from people, Modi said, adding that expansion and modernisation of medical infrastructure in the city have helped in fighting the pandemic.

The availability of beds, ICU and oxygen facility is being increased, he said.

Noting that the administration has set up the 'Kashi COVID Response Centre', the prime minister said other steps should also be carried out swiftly.

He was also informed about the mechanism put in by the administration, including a control room for contact tracing, a command and control centre for home isolation and a dedicated phone line for ambulance service.

Also, telemedicine was being made available through a control room to deal with the rising COVID cases.

The statement said 1,98,383 people have got the first dose of the COVID vaccine, while 35,014 have got both the jabs.