Covid Cases In India HIGHLIGHTS: Focus On Health Emergency Response During G20 Presidency, Says Mandaviya
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Four cases of Covid sub-variant BF.7 infection were found in Bengal on Wednesday. All the patients had arrived from the US. A 21-year-old was also diagnosed with the XBB.1.5 variant infection, responsible for the rise in cases in the US.
Meanwhile, Global airlines grouping International Air Transport Association (IATA) termed the COVID restrictions on China a 'knee-jerk' reinstatement of measures, which have proven "ineffective" in the last three years.
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".
IATA chief Willie Walsh in a statement on Wednesday said: "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.
"It is extremely disappointing to see this knee-jerk reinstatement of measures that have proven ineffective over the last three years," Walsh, who is the Director General of IATA, said.
On Tuesday, five cases of COVID-19's XBB.1.5 variant infection were 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.
Government officials had earlier said 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 officials 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.
Puducherry Records Surge In Covid Cases With 10 New Infections
The Union Territory of Puducherry registered a surge in new Covid cases with 10 infections on Thursday, according to a senior health official. The new cases were reported during the last 24 hours as against five cases registered on Wednesday, Director of Health G Sriramulu said in a release. He said that while Puducherry region accounted for nine cases, Karaikal had a solitary case of viral infection. Mahe and Yanam regions reported nil case.
Maharashtra Sees 23 Covid Cases, No Death. Active Tally Now 133
Maharashtra on Thursday reported 23 COVID-19 cases, which took the tally to 81,36,748, while the death toll stood unchanged at 1,48,417, a health official said. This was a rise from the 16 cases reported on Wednesday. Mumbai circle led with 14 cases, followed by six in Pune circle, two in Nagpur circle and one in Latur circle.
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