Day after PM Modi's meeting, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to discuss Covid with state counterparts

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on the Covid situation, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is set to meet with his counterparts from state governments.

Mandaviya's meeting with state and Union Territory health ministers on 23 December 2022 comes a day after he made a suo motu statement in Parliament on the pandemic situation.

"We are constantly monitoring the situation. There are no direct flights between China and India but people come via other routes," he said.

He said the focus is to ensure that no unknown variant of the virus enters India and at the same time there is no impediment to travelling.

Also watch: New guidelines for international arrivals in India amid Covid concerns

The Union Health Ministry asked the Civil Aviation Ministry to ensure random post-arrival Covid testing of two per cent of arriving passengers in each international flight at airports from December 24, to minimize the risk of ingress of any new variant of coronavirus in the country.

PM Modi has cautioned against complacency, and said that "Covid is not over yet" while advising a strict vigil. He also directed that the ongoing surveillance measures, especially at international airports, be strengthened.

(With PTI inputs)