Concerned about the imminent threat of the new Omicron or the B.1.1.529 variant of Covid-19, the federal government said on Tuesday that so far, the country has not reported cases of this variant. During the winter session of the parliament that day, the Federal Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya issued the above statement in the House of Commons.

“So far, India has not reported a case of the Omicron Covid-19 variant,” the news agency ANI quoted the minister as saying during question time. “We are checking suspicious cases immediately and performing genome sequencing. We have learned a lot during the Covid crisis. Today, we have a lot of resources and laboratories. We can deal with any situation,” the minister further quoted. The day before the minister made the above remarks, according to reports, senior government officials also stated on Monday that no cases of this variant have been found in India, fearing that it is more contagious.

However, according to the news agency PTI, officials also stated that they are accelerating the results of genome analysis of international passengers who have recently arrived in India. At the same time, the center’s “Har Ghar Dastak” door-to-door vaccination campaign has been extended, and the Federal Ministry of Health stated that it will continue until December 31. The focus is to vaccinate all eligible people in the country with the first dose and complete the second dose. The backlog of vaccinations.

On Tuesday, the Federal Ministry of the Interior announced that the country’s existing Covid-19-related restrictions will be extended to the end of the year (December 31). The ministry also emphasized that in view of the emergence of Omicron variants, it is necessary to strictly abide by the recommendations issued by the Union Ministry of Health.

Earlier in the day, Federal Minister of Health Rajesh Bhushan held a review meeting with states and federal territories. During the meeting, they were advised to strengthen the Covid-19 testing of international travelers, strengthen testing infrastructure, and trace their contacts.

The Ministry of Health said in a statement: “The Minister of Trade Union Health advises states not to relax their vigilance and maintain strict vigilance for international passengers entering the country through various airports, ports and land border crossings.”

News Source : Hindustan Times