As India gears up for yet another fight against COVID-19, here are 8 top developments

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New
Delhi,
Dec
24:
Starting
today,
Saturday
December
24,
India
will
begin
random
testing
of
2
per
cent
of
the
international
passengers
at
airports.

With
COVID-19
cases
in
China
increasing
beyond
control
this
is
one
of
the
preparatory
actions
that
India
is
taking
to
keep
its
citizens
safe
from
the
virus.
Let
us
take
a
look
at
the
top
developments
on
the
fight
against
another
wave
of
COVID-19.

Masks
are
not
mandatory,
but
advised
in
crowded
places.
The
Centre
has
reminded
the
states
in
a
letter
the
need
for
COVID-19
appropriate
behaviour
as
revellers
seen
to
soak
in
the
Christmas
spirit
and
also
ring
in
the
New
Year.

Bharat
Biotech’s
Covid
nasal
vaccine
debuts
on
CoWIN:
All
you
need
to
know

“Considering
the
upcoming
festive
season
and
new
year
celebrations,
there
is
need
to
put
in
place
requisite
public
health
measures
and
other
arrangements
to
minimise
risk
of
increase
in
transmission
of
the
disease
by
maintaining
and
strengthening
focus
on
test-track-treat-vaccination
and
adherence
to
Covid-appropriate
behaviour,
i.e.
use
of
mask,
hand
and
respiratory
hygiene
and
adherence
to
physical
distancing,”
Union
Health
Secretary
Rajesh
Bhushan
said
in
a
letter
to
the
states.

Next
week,
starting
Tuesday,
nation-wide
drills
will
be
he
conducted
at
the
hospitals
to
ensure
that
the
health
care
centres
do
not
come
under
pressure
like
in
the
past.

Union
Health
Minister
Mansukh
Mandaviya
held
a
meeting
with
state
health
ministers.
“Emphasised
on
the
need
to
be
alert
in
Covid-19
review
meeting
with
state
health
ministers.
There
is
no
need
to
panic.
We
have
3
years
of
experience
in
pandemic
management.
The
central
government
will
provide
all
the
support
to
combat
COVID-19.
We
will
take
action
as
per
the
needs,”
he
wrote
on
Twitter.

State
governments
on
the
other
hand
have
been
taking
stock
of
the
situation
at
individual
levels.

A
close
look
at
what
India
did
right
as
China
fails
to
curb
COVID-19

Uttar
Pradesh
Chief
Minister,
Yogi
Adityanath
for
the
second
day
reviewed
the
preparedness.
Although
the
situation
is
normal,
we
still
have
to
be
cautious
he
added.

In
the
United
States,
the
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention
said
that
the
highly
contagious
Omicron
sub-variant
XBB
jumped
to
18
per
cent
of
the
national
prevalence.

The
new
variant
BF.7
is
said
to
have
led
the
COVID-19
surge
in
China
this
time.