According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a high-level review conference on Thursday to discuss the Covid-19 situation in the nation. The gathering takes place while China's infection rate has dramatically increased. Millions of deaths are expected there in the following months.
The meeting with the prime minister will start at 3.30. It happens a day after Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya evaluated the Covid-19 situation in India. NITI Aayog member (health) VK Paul and other experts attended a meeting.
After the meeting, the minister tweeted that the pandemic is still ongoing. He also stated that India is "equipped" to handle any situation. He urged individuals to get immunized. To use masks in crowded situations, and behave in a Covid-appropriate manner.
The central government advised states to step up surveillance. It also asked to sequence the genomes of Covid-19-positive samples. The directives followed after the lengthy meeting on Wednesday. It was also determined to conduct random testing on samples taken from travelers from China and other nations.
Up to four instances of BF.7, the main cause of the rise in cases in China, have been found in India. But according to physicians, there is no need to worry because all of these cases were discovered in the past, and the patients have already healed. The BF.7 is not a new variant, but a sublineage of the Omicron BA.5 variant.
“Four cases (BF.7) have been detected through the INSACOG system so far. One in July, two in September, and one in November this year. And despite this, there has been no escalation in cases seen so far from any part of the country. Hence no red alert, but abundant watch,” Paul told the media.
In the week ending December 19, India's average daily Covid-19 case count fell to 158, continuing a steady downward trend. On Thursday, the nation recorded 187 new infections, bringing the total number of active cases to 3,402, or 0.01 percent of the total.
