Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting on Saturday to review the preparedness and the vaccination situation with regards to the Covid-19 pandemic. The meeting lasted around 2 hours and the emergence of the Omicron variant was also discussed. The plans for relaxing international travel restrictions were also discussed in light of the Omicron variant.
In an official press release, the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) said, “Officials briefed PM about the new Variant of Concern ‘Omicron’ along with its characteristics and the impact seen in various countries. Its implications for India were also discussed. PM spoke about the need to be proactive in light of the new variant.”
“PM said that in light of the new threat, people need to more cautious and the need to take proper precautions like masking & social distancing. PM highlighted the need for monitoring all international arrivals, their testing as per guidelines, with a specific focus on countries identified ‘at risk’. PM also asked officials to review plans for easing of international travel restrictions in light of the emerging new evidence,” it added. Earlier, it was reported that India was set to resume international flights from mid-December.
It stated further, “PM directed that genome sequencing samples be collected from international travellers and community as per norms, tested through the network of labs already established under INSACOG and early warning signal identified for Covid-19 management. PM spoke about the need to increase the sequencing efforts and make it more broad-based.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also emphasized on the necessity of increasing the second dose coverage in the country and to ensure that those who received the first dose receive the second dose in a timely manner as well. The meeting was attended by the Cabinet Secretary of Health, members of the Ministry of Health, NITI Aayog and other senior officials.
