India’s health ministry is on high alert after the rise in Covid cases in neighboring China.
The government has directed states to ensure genome sequencing of all positive cases in the country.
It has also asked state governments to step up efforts to contain any possible outbreak during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
India has seen two deadly waves of Covid in 2020 and 2021, but infection levels have been lower this year.
According to official data, around 1,200 Covid cases are reported in the country every week. More than 2.2 billion doses of the Covid vaccine have been administered so far.
On Tuesday, the federal government asked states to send Covid samples from all positive patients to laboratories run by INSACOG, a forum under the health ministry that studies and monitors various strains of Covid in India.
The move comes amid growing concerns over the spread of Covid in China after the recent easing of strict lockdown measures.
Hospitals and medical facilities in China are under increasing strain as people who have tested positive seek medical help at home.
In a letter to all states, federal health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said the “sudden increase in cases in Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of Korea, Brazil and China” necessitated the detection of new strains through genome sequencing. Is.
This will help the authorities to detect new species and take measures to control them, he said.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya met senior officials on Wednesday to review the situation and step up surveillance. India was one of the worst affected countries during the first two waves of Covid. According to official figures, millions were affected and more than 530,000 people died.
But experts believe the actual number of deaths from Covid-19 is likely to be much higher because many cases that have died are not tested and not reported in official statistics. More people died in 2021 due to lack of oxygen and vital drugs.
