Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Narendra Modi) on Monday urged people to be vigilant about the new coronavirus variant Omicron, which is currently causing serious damage worldwide. Since being discovered in southern African countries, Omicron is spreading rapidly and is touted as more dangerous than the main strain Delta.

“During the challenging period of the pandemic, we have received more than 1 billion doses of Covid vaccine. Now we are moving towards 1.5 billion doses. The news of the emergence of a new variant of the coronavirus has made us more vigilant. We should all remain vigilant against Covid- The view of the new variant of 19,” Prime Minister Modi said in a speech before the start of the winter session of Parliament.

He said that the government’s first priority is the health of the people.

The Prime Minister also announced the extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana’s free grain and plan to March 2022.

“We are running Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana to provide free grain to more than 800 million people in the country so that they will not face more problems. The plan has now been extended to March 2022. The cost is close to ₹ 260,000 crore. The plan is to ensure that more than 800 million people have food to cook at home,” the prime minister said in a speech to the media. According to the plan, the government provides 5 kg of food rations for each person free of charge each month to NFSA (Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Priority Families) covering up to 8.135 million beneficiaries, including beneficiaries covered by Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

On Saturday, Prime Minister Modi convened a review meeting, and officials briefed him on Europe and America, its characteristics, and its influence in various countries. It has been classified as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Prime Minister Modi emphasized the need to monitor all international entrants, conduct testing in accordance with guidelines, and pay special attention to countries that are determined to be “at risk”. He also asked officials to review plans to relax international travel restrictions based on emerging evidence.

News Source : Hindustan Times