Thane, Nov 27 (PTI) Maharashtra Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday asked Thane district authorities and local civic officials to keep hospital facilities ready and ensure strict adherence among people to COVID-19 protocols in view of the emergence of a new variant of the infection.

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The new B.1.1.529 variant detected in the southern part of Africa, which has now been named Omicron by the World Health Organisation, has been classified as a 'Variant of Concern' due to its reported high transmissibility.

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Shinde, during the meeting held through video conferencing, said the Maharashtra government was prepared to tackle any eventuality, and directed officials to carry out audits of COVID-19 hospitals and other facilities to ensure preparedness against any spike is at its optimum.

The minister said some of the treatment facilities shut due to a fall in case numbers must be kept ready for reopening as soon the need arises, district officials said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)