E-Paper
Omicron spread: PM Modi to hold Covid-19 review meeting on Thursday
The health ministry had on Tuesday alerted states and union territories about the new Covid-19 variant. It said that based on current scientific evidence, Omicron is at least three times more transmissible than the Delta variant.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Thursday review the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) situation in the country in the wake of Omicron’s spread, news agency ANI reported. The new variant of the Sars-CoV-2 virus has affected more than 200 people in the country till now.
The Prime Minister has held such review meetings in the past too. In the last review meeting in the end of November, PM Modi had asked officials to review plans to ease restrictions on international travel in light of global concern over Omicron, which was discovered in South Africa.
The Prime Minister asked officials to be “pro-active” in light of the new variant.
Also Read | We must end Covid-19 in 2022, says WHO chief
Before the start of the winter session of Parliament, PM Modi had urged people to stay alert. He said the government's priority is the good health of the countrymen, and announced the extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana to provide free grains and the scheme till March 2022.
India’s Omicron tally reached 213 on Wednesday, according to the data released by the Union health ministry. It said that national capital Delhi now leads the tally with 57 cases, followed by Maharashtra, which has reported 54 cases of the new variant till now.
The health ministry had on Tuesday alerted states and union territories about the new Covid-19 variant. It said that based on current scientific evidence, Omicron is at least three times more transmissible than the Delta variant.
The ministry further added that greater foresight, data analysis, dynamic decision making and strict and prompt containment action is required at the local and district level.
India, meanwhile, reported 6,317 fresh Covid-19 cases and 318 deaths in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said on Wednesday. The country's active caseload currently stands at 78,190, the lowest in 575 days.
As many as 318 people succumbed to the viral infection in the last 24 hours, the ministry further said.
