New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS): The government is monitoring the Omicron situation everyday and constantly assessing this new Covid variant with experts, the Parliament was told on Monday.

"I have spoken with the states on this Covid variant and also an SOP has been issued for travellers landing from abroad for preventing the infection," Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya told the Rajya Sabha.

He said that a total 161 cases of Omicron have been detected so far across the nation.

"We have made a transparent system for the ventilators in hospitals. Now the state-run hospitals provide us a certificate that the ventilator has been installed and is running smoothly. State governments have provided 48,000 such ventilator reports so far. We will strengthen our fight against Covid on the basis of what we have learnt from the last wave," he said.

About the ongoing vaccination drive, Mandaviya informed the house that with the health workers' diligent efforts, total 88 per cent of the first Covid vaccine dose and 58 per cent of the second have been administered in India as of now, and the majority of the population in India is vaccinated.

On India's vaccine capacity, he informed the house that the vaccine manufacturing capacity has been enhanced.

Today, India has capacity to manufacture 31 crore doses of vaccines per month which will rise to 45 crore doses in the next two months, he said.

All states and UTs have adequate quantities of vaccines, including approximately 17 crore unutilised vaccine doses, Mandaviya added.