Covid Live Highlights: Four BF.7 Cases Found In Bengal, All Patients Came From US
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Five cases of COVID-19's XBB.1.5 variant, responsible for the rise in cases in the US, have been found in India, according to data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).
Of the five, three cases were found in Gujarat and one each in Karnataka and Rajasthan, according to INSACOG figures on Tuesday.
The XBB.1.5 strain is a relative of the Omicron XBB variant, which is a recombinant of the Omicron BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 subvariants. Combined, XBB and XBB.1.5 make up 44 per cent of cases in the US.
Meanwhile, government officials told PTI that the need for a second booster dose of Covid vaccine is not on the agenda as of now.
A fourth Covid shot is unwarranted at the moment as most people in the country are yet to receive their third dose, they said.
Also, there is no data available on the utility of a second booster for the currently used vaccines, the sources said.
India began administering a precautionary or booster dose in January 2022 and till now only 28 per cent of the eligible population have taken it.
"The need for a second booster dose of Covid vaccines is not on the agenda of the government as of now nor are discussion over it underway. Most importantly, majority of the population are yet to receive a third dose and those who are due for it should take it," an official source said.
Amid mounting international restrictions on travellers from China due to a surge in Covid cases, Beijing on Tuesday called the curbs "unacceptable" and warned of "countermeasures" in response, AFP reported. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said some countries have imposed entry restrictions "targeting only Chinese travellers".
The United States, Canada, France and Japan are among a dozen countries that now require travellers from China to show a negative Covid test report before arrival.
"Some countries have taken entry restrictions targeting only Chinese travellers. This lacks scientific basis and some practices are unacceptable," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular briefing. Ning also warned that China could "take countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity".
4 BF.7 Cases Found In Bengal, All Patients Came From US
Four cases of Covid sub-variant BF.7 infection detected in Bengal. All the patients arrived from the US, the health department said.
Global Airlines' Body Calls Covid Curbs On China 'Knee-Jerk Reaction'
Global airlines grouping International Air Transport Association (IATA) has termed the COVID restrictions on China a 'knee-jerk' reinstatement of measures, which have proven "ineffective" in the last three years.
IATA chief Willie Walsh in a statement on Wednesday said that "Governments must base their decisions on 'science facts' rather than science politics".
Several countries are introducing COVID-19 testing and other measures for travellers from China, even though the virus is already circulating widely within their borders, according to IATA. (PTI)
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