India has applied an intensified screening course of for worldwide passengers arriving at its airports and is randomly testing them for COVID-19 as a result of rising variety of circumstances being reported in neighboring China, the nation’s well being minister declared on Thursday
Mansukh Mandaviya introduced the brand new rule in Parliament, the place he additionally urged state governments to extend surveillance for any new coronavirus variants and ship samples of all constructive circumstances to genome sequencing laboratories.
Mandaviya additionally requested the general public to put on masks and preserve social distancing, regardless that there are not any official mandates for both.
India relaxed its mask-wearing guidelines earlier this yr after coronavirus circumstances started dropping sharply. It has reported essentially the most COVID-19 circumstances on the planet because the pandemic started, however confirmed infections have fallen sharply prior to now few months.
According to Health Ministry information, India at present has about 3,400 lively coronavirus circumstances.
Cases have surged in neighboring China because it relaxed its harsh restrictions earlier this month following uncommon public protests.
Mandaviya stated the Indian authorities has no plans but to halt flights from international locations the place new circumstances have been reported.
On Thursday, India’s prime medical doctors’ physique, the Indian Medical Association, additionally appealed to folks to put on masks in all public locations and get vaccine boosters. It urged folks to keep away from public gatherings reminiscent of weddings, political and social conferences, and worldwide journey.
“As of now, the scenario just isn’t alarming and due to this fact there isn’t any must panic. Prevention is healthier than remedy,” it stated in a press release.
India, a rustic of practically 1.4 billion folks, has administered over 2.2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses, however solely 27% of the inhabitants has obtained a 3rd booster dose.
