Health secretary to brief EC on Covid situation in poll-bound states

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan will on Thursday brief the Election Commission on the latest Covid situation in the five poll-bound states, sources said.

This will be the second time when Bhushan will brief the EC top brass on the emerging COVID-19 situation in the country and in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur in particular.

Earlier, he had briefed the poll panel on December 27. During the interaction, the EC had asked the government to ramp up the vaccination programme in the poll-bound states.

The EC could announce the dates for elections in these five states in the next few days.