The Election Commission of India (EC) on Thursday reviewed the Covid situation with the Health Secretary and health experts, and emphasised for vaccination of all eligible people in five poll-bound States.
The EC said it was also collecting inputs on necessary safety measures to be ensured during the polls in these five States -- Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur.
The poll panel in a separate meeting, discussed the law and order situation in these States with Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
The Commission is expected to announce poll dates for these States in the next few days.
In an earlier meeting with Bhushan on December 27, the poll panel had asked him to ramp up the vaccination drive in the poll-bound States, and stressed to the Health Secretary the need to ensure complete vaccination for all eligible persons.
Besides the Health Secretary, the meeting was also attended by AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria and ICMR’s Balram Bhargava, to assess the Covid situation.
The poll panel carried out a ‘complete review’ of the Covid status and took inputs from medical experts on ‘safety measures to be ensured’ during campaigning and polling.