Patna, Dec 6 (IANS): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Monday that the state government is fully prepared to tackle the possible outbreak of a third Covid wave, even as he urged the people to stay prepared to face the eventualities.

"We have issued strict instructions to all the district officials to stay alert for the possible threat of the new variant of Coronavirus, Omicron. They have also been directed to conduct maximum number of RT-PCR tests, followed by genome sequencing of patients," Kumar said while interacting with mediapersons after the Janta Darbar.

"The state government is prepared to tackle any situation. All the officials in the hospitals have been briefed about the threat of a third Covid wave. The cases of Omicron are also rising in the country. Hence, every person in the state should be alert and take all precautionary measures to protect themselves from the deadly disease. Those who are taking it lightly should prepare to face its consequences," Kumar said.

"We have directed all the district officials to keep a close watch on the people coming from foreign countries. Regular checking has been initiated at the airports, railway stations and bus stands to identify the suspect cases," Kumar said.