NEW DELHI : Center has asked states to send samples of all Covid positive cases to INSACOG genome sequencing lab. INSACOG works under the Ministry of Health to study and monitor the different types of Covid in India. Random sampling of international passengers for Covid-19 has started at airports across the country from Thursday.
Masks are not mandatory even at the airport, but social distancing was advised in an advisory in November. The Center said that there is nothing to panic, people should wear masks in crowded areas and it will review the situation every week. At this time no Covid-19 protocol is applicable for public gatherings or tourist places. After the advisory of the Center in June, masks are not mandatory in any state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today chaired a high-level review meet over evolving Covid-19 situation in India and scare from China and other countries. During the meeting, Modi asked all to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour at all times, including wearing masks at crowded places, especially in view of upcoming festivals. PM also asked officials to regularly monitor availability and prices of essential medicines and advised states to ensure operational readiness of hospital infrastructure. According to reports, the BF.7 variant of the corona spreads rapidly and its symptoms are fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue and diarrhea.
The war against Corona has started in the country. India is on high alert after the Corona explosion in China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level review meeting on Corona today. Apart from Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, many experts were present at the meeting. After the Prime Minister’s review meeting on Corona, new advisories and guidelines may be issued for the states. In this advisory, instructions can be found to reduce the crowd at the New Year celebration and to complete the preparations for quarantine and testing within 7 days.

PM ‘s high-level review meeting has ended amid the Corona alert in India. The meeting was attended by the CEO of NITI Aayog, along with ministers and officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Health. This meeting lasted for about two hours. According to reports, guidelines can also be issued after the meeting. The government has already started random testing of visitors from abroad. Sources say infrastructure for quarantine and testing is likely to be reestablished in the next seven days.Two cases of the BF.7 variant were reported in Gujarat and two in Odisha. The cases were reported in July, September and November. Both patients in Gujarat were treated in home isolation and have fully recovered now, said the state’s health department.
Meanwhile, Delhi government has announced to close schools between January 1 and January 15 due to winter and covid scare. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the city has not detected any case of the BF.7 variant, which is believed to be driving the recent surge in China. “So there’s no need to worry. We are doing genome sequencing. Currently, XBB variant cases are coming in Delhi,” he said after reviewing the Covid situation in the national capital in the wake of the recent outbreak in five countries – the US, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, and China.

The Chief Minister said that Delhi has 8,000 beds for Covid and now aims to prepare 36,000 beds. “We have a storage capacity of 928 mt tonne oxygen in Delhi,” he added. Kejriwal said only 24 per cent of people have taken precaution dose, “we request the people to take precaution dose”. He said the city has 380 ambulances and the government has given orders for procuring more ambulances. “We are waiting on the guidelines of Central govt, as and when it gives orders we will implement,” he said. The chief minister said that the XBB variant of Covid accounts for 92 per cent of positive cases in the city and that BF.7 variant has not been detected even in sewage samples taken from 7 places in Delhi. According to reports, the BF.7 variant of the corona spreads rapidly and its symptoms are fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue and diarrhea.
According to reports, there are 10 Covid variants in the country at present, the latest being BF.7. A massive spike in Covid cases in China after it dismantled its stringent “zero-Covid” regime has sparked global concern.After a meeting called by Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya yesterday, the Centre advised using masks and Covid-appropriate behaviour but there is no protocol in place for now. There is no cause for panic, says the government, but people should mask up in crowded areas. Serum Institute of India has sought DCGI approval for its Covax vaccine as a booster dose for those aged 18 years and above. This vaccine can be given to those who have been given two doses of Covishield or Covaxin.
(Bureau Report with Agencies Inputs).pic: The Hindu

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