New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is chairing a meet on the situation relating to COVID-19 and vaccination with top government officials. Top officials including Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan are taking part in the meeting which began at around 10:30 am, sources say.
Along with the Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary to PM Modi, PK Mishra and NITI Aayog member (health) Dr VK Paul will also attend the meeting.
The meeting assumes significance given the rising concern about a new COVID-19 variant 'Omicron' first detected in South Africa. India also added several countries to the list from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in India, including post-arrival testing for infection.
Read: WHO rings alarm bell, classifies new Covid variant in South Africa as 'Omicorn'
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has added Hong Kong and Israel to the list of countries from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in India, including post-arrival testing considering the detection of the new COVID variant.
Countries from where the travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in India are South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Israel, Hong Kong, countries in Europe including the UK.
This variant is reported to have a significantly high number of mutations, and thus, has serious public health implications for the country, in view of recently relaxed visa restrictions and opening up of international travel.
Read: EXPLAINER: What is this new COVID variant in South Africa?
India reported 8,318 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, informed the Health Ministry. As many as 465 people succumbed to the COIVD-19 infection in the country in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 4,67,933.
With 10,967 fresh recoveries, the total recoveries stand at 3,39,88,797. The recovery rate is currently at 98.34 per cent, which is the highest since March 2020. The active case accounts for less than 1 per cent of total cases, currently at 0.31 per cent, lowest since March 2020, at 1,07,019.
