Delhi: 39 international travelers test COVID-19 positive in 2 days
At least 39 persons traveling to India from abroad have tested positive for COVID-19 at airports throughout the country in the last two days, NDTV reported citing sources. The development comes a day ahead of Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya's scheduled visit to Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday to assess the situation and screening facilities.
Why does this story matter?
India has ramped up its fight against COVID-19 in the wake of the spiraling wave in neighboring China and some other countries. The government also made Coronavirus testing mandatory for foreign travelers coming to the country. To note, India has so far reported four cases of the Omicron BF.7 subvariant, which appears to be the reason behind the latest coronavirus surge in China.
6,000 travelers tested under fresh COVID-19 guidelines
According to NDTV, the authorities randomly tested 6,000 travelers under fresh guidelines so far following the COVID-19 surge. It included 498 travelers tested for coronavirus in the last three of which 39 came positive. The government had mandated random testing of 2% of travelers at the international arrival section. Notably, 200 strains of the COVID-19 virus have been identified in the country so far.
China's COVID-19 scare; BF.7 responsible in just 15% of cases
Reportedly, the global caused by COVID-19 spike in China has been attributed to four variants of Coronavirus including BF.7 variant. However, the majority 50% is from the BN and BQ series while BF.7 and SVV variants contributed 15% and 10-15% of coronavirus cases in China respectively. The cocktail of viruses, however, behaves differently due to local epidemiology.
COVID-19 scenario in India
Although a new COVID-19 wave is unlikely in India, experts recommended caution against the spread of deadly strains. Leading epidemiologists told Business Today that most of India gained "hybrid immunity" through vaccines and natural infection through three waves. On the other hand, China lacks such immunity due to less exposure to coronavirus and the less effective vaccine Chinese people receive, per Pulmonologists.
Health Ministry alerted states/UTs amid global COVID-19 scare
The Union Health Ministry recently released a six-point advisory for states and UTs to deal with any COVID-19 emergency amid a spike in cases in China. Last week, the ministry also stated that it would be mandatory for passengers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Hong Kong to show a negative coronavirus certificate.
Mock drills across government health institutions in the country
On Tuesday, the health institutions conducted mock drills across the country following the instructions issued by the Centre to check COVID-19 preparation. The availability of beds, human resources, logistics, and the supply chain for medical oxygen was the main focus of the mock drills. The directive was issued amid the coronavirus outbreak in China that has sparked a worldwide panic.
