India has ramped up its surveillance against Covid-19 and keeping a close watch on the pandemic ahead of New Year. Amid reports of Covid surge across the globe, especially in China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore, the Centre has mandated negative RT-PCR test report for international passengers landing in India from those six countries. Experts have predicted a rise in Covid cases in India in the next 40 days based on previous trends and urged to stay on alert. The current surge in cases driven by the latest sub-variant of Omicron, BF.7, is considered to be less severe even if it has the capacity to create a wave. Its transmissibility is high, however, the Union health ministry believes the number of deaths and hospitalisation caused by this variant will be low. Experts have also assured that India’s Covid-19 scenario will not worsen like that of China.
Meanwhile, nationwide mock drills at hospitals and health care facilities occurred on Tuesday, with Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya visiting Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital. He also held a meeting with members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) wherein doctors and medical experts urged to let people get administered with second booster shot. However, official data has revealed that a large population of the country is yet to take the booster dose.
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Dec 29, 2022 06:25 AM IST
China reports one Covid death on December 28: Report
China reported one new COVID-19 death in the mainland for Dec. 28, compared with three deaths a day earlier, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday, reports Reuters.
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Dec 29, 2022 06:22 AM IST
China to resume issuing passports, visas as measure to ease curbs
China says it will resume issuing passports for tourism in another big step away from anti-virus controls that isolated the country for almost three years, setting up a potential flood of Chinese going abroad for next month’s Lunar New Year holiday, reports AP.
