Union Health Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, will hold a meeting with the health ministers of the States and Union Territories on Friday in the wake of a rising number of COVID-19 cases in some countries, including China.

Mandaviya made a suo motu statement in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday on India’s preparedness to curb the spread of the viral infection.

Also read: COVID: PM reviews situation; IMA issues directive 

He said the situation was being constantly monitored. The minister also said that while there were no direct flights between China and India, people from the neighbouring country arrived here via other routes.

Focus on prevention

The focus was to ensure that no new variant of the virus entered the country, he said, adding that at the same time, there was no impediment to travelling.

As China and some other countries witness a surge in the number of Covid cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday cautioned against complacency, called for a strict vigil, and directed that the ongoing surveillance measures, especially at international airports, be strengthened.

Also read: COVID surge: RT-PCR, vaccination proof may become must for air travel

“Covid is not over yet,” Modi reiterated at a high-level meeting to review the situation and urged people to wear masks in crowded places.

The Union health ministry has asked the civil aviation ministry to ensure random post-arrival Covid testing at airports of 2 % of the passengers arriving in India on each international flight from Saturday (December 24) to minimize the risk of ingress of any new variant of the coronavirus in the country.

(With Agency inputs)