PM Modi to chair covid review meet today

India

oi-Deepika S

The
review
meet
comes
after
three
cases
of
BF.7
sub-variant
of
Omicron,
which
is
driving
the
huge
Covid
surge
in
China,
were
detected
in
India.

New
Delhi,
Dec
22:
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
will
review
the
situation
related
to
COVID-19
and
related
aspects
in
the
country
at
a
high-level
meeting
today.

The
review
meet
comes
after
three
cases
of
highly
infectious
Omicron
subvariant
BF.7,
apparently
the
strain
driving
China’s
current
surge
of
Covid
cases,
have
been
detected
in
India
so
far.

The
first
case
of
BF.7
in
India
was
detected
in
October
by
Gujarat
Biotechnology
Research
Centre.
So
far,
two
cases
have
been
reported
from
Gujarat
while
one
case
has
been
reported
from
Odisha.

Omicron
BF.7:
States
ramp
up
Covid
protocol
as
China
Covid
surge
alarms
India

In
the
Covid
review
meeting
chaired
by
Union
Health
Minister
Mansukh
Mandaviya
Wednesday,
experts
said
although
there
is
no
overall
increase
in
Covid
caseload
as
of
now,
there
is
a
need
for
continued
surveillance
to
keep
a
track
of
existing
and
emerging
variants.’

The
government
asked
people
to
follow
COVID-appropriate
behaviour,
including
wearing
masks
in
crowded
places,
and
get
vaccinated.

“COVID
is
not
over
yet.
I
have
directed
all
concerned
to
be
alert
and
strengthen
surveillance.
We
are
prepared
to
manage
any
situation,”
Union
Health
Minister
Mansukh
Mandaviya
said.

Underlining
the
challenge
posed
by
the
increasing
number
of
COVID-19
cases
in
some
countries
across
the
world
such
as
China,
Japan,
South
Korea,
France
and
the
United
States,
Mandaviya
noted
the
importance
of
being
prepared
and
remaining
alert
against
new
and
emerging
strains
of
COVID-19,
especially
in
view
of
the
upcoming
festive
season.

During
the
meeting,
it
was
also
highlighted
that
no
severity
in
cases
was
being
seen
so
far.
Secretary
Pharma
and
Ayush
were
asked
to
keep
stock
of
medicines
that
were
used
during
Covid
as
a
precautionary
measure.

In
view
of
the
rise
in
cases
in
Japan,
the
United
States
of
America,
the
Republic
of
Korea,
Brazil
and
China
the
Union
Health
Ministry
on
Tuesday
urged
all
states
and
Union
territories
to
ramp
up
the
whole
genome
sequencing
of
positive
samples
of
Covid
to
keep
track
of
emerging
variants.

In
a
letter
to
states
and
UTs,
Union
Health
Secretary
Rajesh
Bhushan
had
said
such
an
exercise
will
enable
timely
detection
of
newer
variants,
if
any,
circulating
in
the
country
and
will
facilitate
the
undertaking
of
requisite
public
health
measures.