PM Modi to hold key meeting on Covid-19 situation, vaccination status today

The meeting comes after the WHO on Friday designated the new Covid-19 variant B.1.1.529, first detected in South Africa this week, as a "Variant of Concern" and named it 'Omicron'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair an important meeting on the Covid situation and the vaccination drive in the country with top officials on Saturday, official sources said. The meeting, to be held at 10:30 am, will be attended by top officials, according to media reports.

The meeting comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday designated the new Covid-19 variant B.1.1.529, first detected in South Africa this week, as a “Variant of Concern” and named it 'Omicron'.

A “variant of concern” is the WHO's top category of worrying Covid variants.

Meanwhile, India reported 8,318 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, informed the Health Ministry.

As many as 465 people succumbed to the Covid-19 infection in the country in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 4,67,933.

With 10,967 fresh recoveries, the total recoveries stand at 33,988,797. The recovery rate is currently at 98.34 per cent, which is the highest since March 2020.

In another development, the government, last night, said scheduled international passenger flights to and from India could return to normal, but only for countries not deemed 'at risk' by the Health Ministry.