Centre to review Covid situation as cases rise in China, other nations

Health ministry asks states to ramp up genome sequencing

The health ministry will hold a meeting on Wednesday to review the rising cases of Covid-19 in China and other countries and assess the situation in India. Government has also written to all states to ramp up genome sequencing and send all positive samples to designated Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium-INSACOG laboratories.

In a letter to states, Rajesh Bhushan, health secretary said the public health challenge of Covid-19 persists around the world, with about 3.5 million cases reported weekly. “Such an exercise will enable timely detection of newer variants, if any, circulating in the country and will facilitate undertaking of requisite public health measures for the same,” Bhushan said.

The health ministry has stressed that monitoring the trends of existing variants is crucial. “In view of the sudden spurt of cases witnessed in Japan, the United States of America, Republic of Korea, Brazil and China, it is essential to gear up the whole genome sequencing of positive case samples to track the variants through the INSACOG network.”

Several Chinese cities are witnessing a wave of Covid cases, fuelling concerns of a new mutation.

There are 3,490 active Covid cases in India as on December 20, according to the health ministry data.