PM briefed on Omicron; asks to review travel restriction plans

Vaccines at a free camp at the Central Vista construction site. Pic/PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Saturday briefed about the new Omicron variant of the Coronavirus, and asked officials to review the plans to ease international travel restrictions in light of the "emerging new evidence".

Modi spoke about the need to be proactive in light of the new variant. He said that people need to be more cautious and take proper precautions like masking up and maintaining social distance. The Prime Minister highlighted the need for monitoring all international arrivals, their testing as per guidelines, with a specific focus on countries identified as ‘at risk'. He also directed officials to work closely with state governments to ensure that there is proper awareness at the state and district level. He directed that intensive containment and active surveillance should continue in clusters reporting higher cases and required technical support be provided to states which are reporting higher cases presently. He also asked that awareness be created about ventilation and air-borne behaviour of the virus. India also added several countries to the list from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival.

Prepare for emergency

Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal instructed senior officials to ensure strict adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour at public places and preparedness at hospitals to deal with any emergency situation, official sources said on Saturday. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), in its meeting on Monday, is likely to take a call on RT-PCR testing of passengers deboarding from international flights, and quarantining of passengers from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Hong Kong and other countries where a new variant of Covid has been reported, they said. Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop flights coming to India from those countries which are affected by the new variant of the Coronavirus. In a tweet, he emphasised that the country had "recovered" from the Covid-19 pandemic with "great difficulty".

Surge in Karnataka

Close on the heels of the Covid outbreak in the campus of SDM Medical College in Dharwad and International Boarding School in Bengaluru, 48 nursing students tested positive for the contagion in Karnataka's Mysuru district. The number of infections rose to 281 in SDM Medical College on Saturday. CM Bommai called a meeting to discuss the state's Covid situation.

No RT-PCR for children on Sabarimala

The mandatory RT-PCR test is not essential for children to take part in the ongoing Sabarimala pilgrimage, the Kerala government said. Accompanying adults have to ensure they carry soaps, sanitisers, masks and adhere to norms.

3,45,63,749
Total number of cases in the country as of Saturday

4,67,933
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India

3,39,88,797
Patients Recovered and discharged in India as of Saturday

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