Kerala Records 300 New Covid Cases, India's Active Tally At 2,669

Kerala reported 300 new active cases of COVID-19 and 3 deaths on December 20, as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The total number of active cases of Covid-19 in the country stood at 2,669.

Amid rising concerns over the emergence of the new variant of the Coronavirus, a Kerala-based health expert said on Wednesday that Covid is like any other communicable disease that cannot be wiped out completely adding that the strike rate of the disease has come down.

"Covid is just like any other communicable disease that cannot be wiped out completely. However, the strike of the disease has come down, and the mortality that means the people who succumbed to the disease is not as high as what it used to be. It is now just like any other influenza or any other common cold," said Dr Sreejith N Kumar told ANI.

Meanwhile, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the COVID-19 situation in India and the preparedness of the public health system for surveillance, containment and management of COVID-19 given the recent spike in cases of COVID-19 in some states.

During the meeting, Mr Mandaviya emphasised the importance of being alert and prepared against new and emerging strains of the COVID-19 virus.

"It is important to be alert and prepared against new and emerging strains of the COVID-19 virus," Mr Mandaviya said.

The Union Health Minister urged all the states to remain alert, increase surveillance and ensure an adequate stock of medicines, oxygen cylinders and concentrators, ventilators and vaccines.

Reiterating the need for joint efforts between the Centre and States to ensure efficient management of COVID-19, Mr Mandaviya said, "Let us undertake mock drills once every three months at both the central and state levels and share best practices."

He also urged states to create awareness, manage the epidemic, and ensure the dissemination of factually correct information.

In the wake of the surge in respiratory diseases and the new JN.1 COVID sub-variant, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the virus is evolving and changing and urged the member states to continue with strong surveillance and sequence sharing.

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