Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ The Operative Staff of the State Emergency Commission (SEC) held a meeting and heard a report on the pandemic situation from health authorities. 

At the beginning of the meeting, Director of the National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) Ts.Bilegtsaikhan said, “There has been a rapid increase in infections caused by the Omicron variant of COVID-19. 7,548 COVID-19 patients are receiving treatment at hospitals in the capital city, of which more than 90 percent have pneumonia. Compared to the Delta variant, critical infections caused by the Omicron variant are making up relatively less or 0.7 percent of total infections. However, people with underlying conditions, senior citizens, and children are at increased risk of severe illness”

49.4 percent or 968,478 people of the target population have received a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and over 36,400 people a fourth dose. To curb the spread of the Omicron variant, NCCD made a recommendation to postpone the return of students and kindergarteners to classroom learning by 7-14 days or move classes online. The center also presented a recommendation to the SEC team to urge citizens to celebrate Tsagaan Sar, the Lunar New Year of Mongolia, only with family members, disseminating it through media and all other public channels of information, create more space in workplaces, and cancel public events.

Deputy Prime Minister S.Amarsaikhan told the operative staff, “Compared to when infections caused by the Delta variant surged, a lesser number of or 7,000 beds are being used in hospitals. Therefore, it is important to ensure unified management and not inconvenience citizens when admitting them to hospitals. Moreover, health officials have to visit primary care clinics and other hospitals in person for supervision.”

At the end of the virtual meeting, the Deputy PM gave the operative staff the following tasks:

- To disseminate public information containing health professionals’ guidelines on precautions against infection from Omicron, infection control, and treatment and answers to questions from citizens not less than three times a day using media;

- To approve and implement special schedules to allow government service employees including those with a child younger than five years old to work from home;

- To process complaints from citizens regarding COVID-19 medication assistance and to focus on whether the package of drugs meet standard requirements;

- To extend ambulatory service time;

- Medicine and Medical Devices Regulatory Authority to check medication reserves and ensure there are no supply disruptions;

- Urge citizens to have Tsagaan Sar celebration within the household and avoid visiting other households to prevent infections.