Amid China Covid wave, India's health minister to chair meeting, day after variant-tracking order

With the Covid situation in China and some other countries sparking fears of a fresh wave of infections, India's Union Health Minister is slated to chair a meeting on 21 December 2022.

Apart from China, America, Japan, South Korea, and Brazil have also seen a spurt in cases.

Mansukh Mandaviya will meet secretaries of health and Ayush ministries, and officials of key health bodies a day after the Union government advised states to ramp up genome sequencing of positive samples to keep track of newer variants of the Covid virus.

In a letter to states and UTs, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said such an exercise will enable timely detection of newer variants, if any, circulating in the country and will facilitate undertaking requisite public health measures.

He highlighted that India with its focus on the five-fold strategy of test-track-treat-vaccination and adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour has been able to restrict the transmission of the coronavirus and is recording around 1,200 cases on a weekly basis.

Public health challenge of COVID-19 still persists around the world with around 35 lakh cases being reported weekly, Bhushan said.

(With PTI inputs)

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