India Records 243 New Covid Cases In Last 24 Hours

NEW DELHI:
243 new cases of Coronavirus infection were reported in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Friday. According to the Health Ministry, India’s active caseload currently stands at 3,609 with the active cases at 0.01 percent.

So far, the country has seen a total of 4,41,43,850 recoveries from the Covid-19 infection, of which 185 took place in the last 24 hours, the Ministry said, adding that the current Recovery Rate of the country is at 98.8 percent.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday approved the cost of Covid-19 tests, including Antigen, and RTPCR tests in private centres in the state. “Antigen test will be done at Rs 250 at the private testing centre, RTPCR at Rs 700,” officials said, adding that Rs 900 will have to be paid for collecting samples from home.

However, the State’s Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said that the government is ready amid the fresh surge of Covid cases in other countries.

“Covid is increasing rapidly in other countries and passengers are also coming from abroad, but the government is ready,” he said. “All the passengers will be isolated if tested positive, and their samples will be sent for genome sequencing,” Brajesh Pathak said.

China’s medical system is under stress as the number of seriously ill COVID patients is surging in Beijing and other parts of the country reported NHK World. However, the Chinese Government continues to downplay the Covid related deaths in the country even though the hospitals are getting overwhelmed. In order to conceal the actual figures of deaths related to Covid, the Government has now decided (December 20) that only deaths caused by pneumonia and respiratory failure would now be counted as Covid deaths.

The number of such patients is also increasing in China’s inland provinces, where medical facilities and personnel are less equipped to deal with an outbreak, reported NHK World. At an emergency care department at a hospital in Anhui Province, the entire medical staff have reportedly tested positive for Covid-19.

With no backup available, they are apparently staying on duty while taking fever medication. The department is reportedly examining more than 1,000 people a day, prioritizing those at higher risk, such as the elderly and patients with underlying health conditions, reported NHK World. Meanwhile, with the Lunar New Year approaching, there is a high probability that the number of Covid cases in China may witness a further steep rise.

A health official informed that a woman who recently returned from the United States tested positive for COVID-19 in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district on Thursday, as reported by the news agency ANI. Her swab sample will be sent for genome sequencing tomorrow, he added.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya asked pharmaceutical companies on Thursday to maintain adequate supplies and availability of all drugs, particularly those for Covid management, in the supply chain up to the retail level, citing an increase in coronavirus incidence in several nations, according to an official statement.

He discussed the status of COVID-19 management and production capacities of medicines with representatives of pharmaceutical companies via a virtual conference in Delhi so that India is prepared to handle any eventuality properly.

As per the statement, this review meeting was convened in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases in various countries, including China.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) stated on Thursday that India’s decision to reintroduce coronavirus testing for international passengers is “disappointing and a step backwards” because the present scenario is different from when the pandemic began three years ago.

In response to an increase in coronavirus cases in many parts of the world, the Indian government has decided to require a negative Covid report for travellers travelling from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand beginning January 1. Authorities also began random testing of 2% of passengers arriving on each overseas flight last week.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has sprung into action in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases in certain nations, including India, by organising mock drills, conducting preparatory meetings, and educating people about the pandemic, as per a report by news agency PTI.

The government has issued a notice and instructed states and Union territories to get ready for any situation as a result of an increase in COVID-19 instances in various nations, notably China and South Korea.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Health Minister Mandaviya met to evaluate if the nation is equipped to deal with a new spike of cases.

On Tuesday, mock drills were held at medical facilities across India to check operational readiness in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak. According to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the country must be cautious and prepared because cases are on the rise worldwide.

The Omicron sub-variant BF.7 is what is behind the most recent increase in cases.