On Polls Amid Covid, Centre's Health Officer To Brief Election Body Today
NDTV
The Election Commission has asked the poll-bound states to step up the inoculation drive against the viral disease and ensure that the personnel to be deployed on election duty are "double vaccinated".
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan will brief the Election Commission this morning on the Covid situation - specifically the threat posed by the Omicron strain - in Uttar Pradesh and four other states due to hold elections in February-March.
The meeting is expected to take place at 11 am.
The rise in Covid cases - India on Wednesday reported a 55 per cent jump in new cases - and the violations of Covid protocols at political rallies in poll-bound states has led to fresh calls seeking delay in the elections.
In the politically significant state of Uttar Pradesh, parties like the Congress, the BJP and Samajwadi Party have cancelled their rallies amid concerns that these rallies - which draw crowds of thousands - could emerge as super-spreader events.
