New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reviewed the Covid situation in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, and stressed the need for vaccination of everyone over 45 years of age.
According to a statement, PM 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.
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. In a brief post on Twitter, the Prime Minister's Office said that the meeting will be attended by top officials, local administration and doctors who are involved in fighting COVID in Varanasi.
As the member of Parliament from Varanasi, PM Modi has also been taking regular feedback from people.
The availability of beds, ICU and oxygen facility is being increased, he said.
The holy city has been witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases like other major urban centres of Uttar Pradesh. On Saturday, Varanasi accounted for 1,664 of the 27,357 infections reported in Uttar Pradesh.
Amid a rise in the number of Covid cases, the Varanasi district administration has made it mandatory to present a negative RT-PCR test report for people coming to three prominent temples in the city.
"Varanasi district administration has made it mandatory for devotees to produce negative RT-PCR test report not older than three days to enter Vishwanath Temple, Sankatmochan Temple, and Annapurna Temple. We''ll implement it for hotels also," Divisional Commissioner Deepak Agrawal was quoted as saying by news agency ANI on Wednesday.