Prime minister Narendra Modi will hold a video conference with chief ministers at noon to review the Covid-19 situation in India. Home minister Amit Shah and health minister Mansukh Mandaviya will attend, news agency ANI reported, and health secretary Rajesh Bhushan will make a presentation. The meeting comes amid a worrying uptick in daily Covid cases - this morning there were nearly 3,000 cases in 24 hours, an increase of 17 per cent from Tuesday.
Among the topics likely to be discussed are the status of the vaccination drive (with focus on precautionary doses) and states reporting high Covid cases.
The prime minister has held several meetings with chief ministers and government officials since the pandemic hit the country in 2020, to keep informed about the course of the disease in the country.
On Sunday, during his 'mann ki baat' address to the nation, the prime minister urged people to stay alert and follow Covid safety protocols, particularly during festive seasons. He reminded people to wear masks when in public or crowded spaces and regularly sanitise their hands to keep Covid at bay.
Daily cases have seen an increase in states and major cities; on Tuesday Gurgaon reported over 400 in 24 hours for the first time since February and Mumbai reported over 100 in a day for the first time since March 1. Delhi reported over 1,200 on Tuesday - the fifth consecutive day with 1,000+ cases.
Earlier this week the Drugs Controller General of India approved emergency use of two vaccines - Biological E's Corbevax and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin - for children under 12. This was hailed as a milestone move that paves the way for younger children to be vaccinated against the disease.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier this week the Drugs Controller General of India approved emergency use of two vaccines - Biological E's Corbevax and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin - for children under 12. This was hailed as a milestone move that paves the way for younger children to be vaccinated against the disease.
{{/usCountry}}Covid cases continue to dominate global headlines with the spread of the omicron variant (and several sub-variants) driving numbers.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged all countries to maintain surveillance of coronavirus infections. The global health body said Tuesday the world was 'blind' to how the virus was spreading because of falling testing rates.
With input from ANI