PM Modi holds crucial meeting on Covid-19 situation, vaccination

New Delhi, Nov 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding a virtual review meeting today on the covid situation in the country.

The Prime Minister will also take stock of vaccination situation at 10.30 am.

The meeting comes amid growing scare over new covid variant found in South Africa.

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Principal Secretary to PM, PK Mishra, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, and NITI Aayog member (health) Dr VK Paul will attend the meeting to be chaired by PM Narendra Modi on COVID-19 situation and vaccination today.

The B.1.1.529 strain of the coronavirus, which experts say has over 50 mutations and could be far more virulent than the Delta variant that battered India during the second wave of infections.

The Centre on Thursday asked all states and union territories to conduct rigorous screening and testing of all international travellers coming from or transiting through South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana, where a new COVID-19 variant of serious public health implications has been reported.

It has now been reported by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) that multiple cases of a COVID-19 variant B.1.1529 have been reported in Botswana (3 cases), South Africa (6) and Hong Kong (1 case), Bhushan said in the letter.

"This variant is reported to have a significantly high number of mutations, and thus, has serious public health implications for the country, in view of recently relaxed visa restrictions and opening up of international travel.

"It is therefore imperative that all international travellers travelling from and transiting through these countries, (they are part of the 'at risk' country category of international travellers coming to India) and also including all other 'at risk' countries indicated in the revised Guidelines for International Arrivals issued by this ministry dated November 11, 2021, are subjected to rigorous screening and testing, as per MoHFW Guidelines," he said.