As China deals with a new Covid outbreak, which according to one study could mean up to 1 million cases per day, the central government and states in India are taking preventative measures.
Covid is not yet over, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday during a high-level meeting to review health infrastructure readiness, vaccination campaigns, and the emergence of new variants.
While the average daily case count in India has dropped to 153, according to a government release, 5.9 lakh cases have been reported globally in the last six weeks.
Many states are being cautious as mask rules are reinstated in congested areas. On Friday, the central government and the states are expected to meet.
1) According to HT, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka are among the states that have reviewed Covid preparations. Top officials, however, have stated that there is no need to panic.
2) India is also randomly testing 2% of international passengers at airports, according to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who testified in Parliament on Thursday. On Friday, he is scheduled to meet with state and union territory ministers, according to the news agency PTI.
3) “There are no direct flights from China to India, and we are taking all precautions that we have learned over the last two years to manage the spread of infection in the country,” he added.
4) At the high-level meeting on Thursday, Prime Minister Modi asked top officials to ensure that the “entire Covid infrastructure at all levels is maintained at a high level of preparedness in terms of equipment, processes and human resources”. In addition, he has “advised states to audit Covid specific facilities to ensure operational readiness of hospital Infrastructure, including oxygen cylinders, ventilators, and human resources,” according to a statement from his office.
5) Setting a good example, Prime Minister Modi and other members of Parliament were seen wearing masks during the session on Thursday.
6) Genome sequencing, which was also discussed at the Prime Minister’s meeting, has resurfaced, with a new surge in China attributed to the BF.7 subvariant of Omicron. Since the virus’s first outbreak in China’s Wuhan in 2019, it is thought to be one of the most infectious.
7) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has advocated for increased testing and genome sequencing. Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, has also urged people not to panic.
8) Karnataka Health minister K Sudhakar on Thursday informed about an advisory to make masks mandatory “in indoor areas, closed spaces and in areas with air-conditioning”.
