Prime Minister Narender Modi has sounded the flight regulators, state governments and health fraternity all over the country to be “proactive and cautious and upgrading surveillance and preparedness” following detection of “Omicron”, a new deadly variant of Coronavirus in South Africa, Botswana, Belgium and Hongkong and Israel as per WHO report.
Prime Minister chaired the high level meeting of the top health experts and officials to review the containment and surveillance and preparedness in the country to meet the challenge that new variant pose.
The meeting followed after WHO has said that the Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 virus evolution has said new variant is a “variant of concern” as it runs a higher risk of reinfection than other variants as per the available evidence. The new variant B.1.1.529 is named as “Omicron” and it has been detected in South Africa, Botswana, Belgium, Hongkong and Israel so far, said the WHO.
Though India has not reported any case of the new variant so far, the daily positivity rate of 0.86 reported today is the lowest in the last 54 days in the country as a whole. (see photo).
In Himachal, three deaths- two in Kangra and one in Hamirpur- and 82 new cases were reported since 7 PM yesterday till today out of 5776 people tested for the infection during the same period, said the media bulletin.
Centre did not announce any travel curbs today on the passengers coming from South Africa. but state governments, which receive tourists mainly foreigners are worried over the recent arrivals of over 1000 passengers from South Africa for last 30 hours in south Indian cities. The reports said all the passengers have been tested and few have tested positive, reported the agencies.
In Dehradun, the Indira Gandhi Forest Academy today banned the entry of the tourists and workers into the institute after 11 persons tested positive for coronavirus.
The Union Health Ministry and Indian Council for Medical research(ICMR) are in touch with the WHO on the emergence of the new variant in South Africa.
AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi tweeting that India should be ready to check the spread of new variant, which deadlier than the old ones.
Britain has banned flights from South African countries after the new covid variant was detected in South Africa, fearing that new virus variant might cause havoc in that country, reports said.