Prime Minister Narendra Modi today cautioned against complacency as China and some other countries witness a surge in Covid cases. PM also called for strict vigil and directed that the ongoing surveillance measures, especially at international airports, to be strengthened.
India today reported 185 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases declined to 3,402.
The total tally of Covid cases was recorded at 4.46 crore (4,46,76,515). The death count stands at 5,30,681 with one fatality being reported from Delhi in the last 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated.
The active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate increased to 98.80 per cent, according to the ministry website.
Here are the updates on the Covid situation in India::
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday appealed to the residents to start wearing masks as a precautionary measure.
Sangma, after reviewing the COVID situation in the state, told reporters that the state government is continuously monitoring the condition. The situation was reviewed after the Centre directed all states and Union territories to conduct genome sequencing on all positive samples daily following a spike in fresh cases in several countries including China.
The government on Thursday said that two per cent of passengers arriving in each international flight will be subject to random coronavirus test from December 24.
The Union health ministry has written to the civil aviation ministry in this regard amid an increase in coronavirus cases in many countries.
The mask mandate has partly returned in India, though limited to one state so far, with some conditions. PM Narendra Modi also held a review meeting after a spike in China, and reiterated an advisory on norms that are not yet binding.
After a high-level meeting today, PM Modi cautioned against complacency and advised for maintaining strict vigil.
India is keeping an eye on the Covid situation in China, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday amid the rapid rise in cases in the country.
The Serum Institute of India (SII) has sought the drug regulator's approval for market authorisation of its COVID-19 vaccine Covovax as a booster dose for those aged 18 years and above who have been administered two doses of Covishield or Covaxin, official sources said on Thursday.
Two per cent of the travellers will have to give samples, after which they will be allowed to go, and the RT-PCR tests will thus be carried out, it is learnt. Read full story here
🔴 WATCH LIVE: Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya makes a statement in Lok Sabha on the Covid-19 situation https://t.co/hMlRpgrUU6 pic.twitter.com/gReTdosPd1
- NDTV (@ndtv) December 22, 2022
There is no order issued by the central government to curb incoming flights from the country where a wave of Covid cases has been reported, government officials said, according to ANI. 'We don't have any direct flights from China to India or from India to China but as of now, there is no such order issued to stop connecting flights to India which are arriving via China. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is an executing ministry, the final decision will come from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)," government sources told ANI.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to make a statement in both Houses of Parliament on Covid-19, reports ANI
The tsunami of Covid-19 that's taking hold across China is spurring concern that a dangerous new virus variant could emerge for the first time in more than a year, just as genetic sequencing to catch such a threat is dwindling.
The head of the World Health Organization on Wednesday said he was "very concerned" about an unprecedented wave of Covid cases in China, as the health body urged Beijing to accelerate vaccination of the most vulnerable. Read full story here
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review the Covid situation in India in a meeting today after four cases of the Omicron sub-variant driving the massive China surge were found in the country.
The tsunami of Covid-19 that's taking hold across China is spurring concern that a dangerous new variant could emerge for the first time in more than a year, just as genetic sequencing to catch such a threat is dwindling.