Variant B.1.1.529 was first reported to WHO on 24 November (Representative)
New Delhi:
India is likely to slow down the resumption of commercial international flights after the outbreak of new COVID-19 variant of concern ‘Omicron’ in several countries. However, the decision will not affect the currently active air bubbles, officials said.
The central government on Sunday reviewed the strategy after it was reported that the new variant was more deadly and contagious than other Covid variants. According to the Interior Ministry, the pandemic situation emerging in the country is being monitored more closely.
During a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, the decision to resume scheduled commercial international flights was taken into account taking into account the evolving global scenario.
The meeting was organized with various experts including VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, Vijay Raghavan, Prime Minister’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Senior Ministry of Health officials, Civil Aviation and other Ministries.
A senior official involved in the meeting said: “The general global situation after the Omicron incident has been comprehensively reviewed. Many containment measures have been put in place and need to be strengthened further discussed in the meeting. meeting”.
According to him, standard operating procedures for screening and monitoring of incoming international passengers, especially for those countries identified as ‘at risk’ are in place. He added: “Airport Health and Port Health officials have been sensitively monitoring testing procedures at airports and harbors.
The meeting was held a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-level review meeting on the new COVID-19 variant of interest, ‘Omicron’.
After a long hiatus of more than 20 months, on November 26, the government announced the resumption of scheduled international commercial flights from December 15.
Scheduled international flights have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, special international passenger flights have been operating since July last year under a bubble arrangement formed with 31 countries.
The new, more contagious B.1.1.529 variant was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) from South Africa on 24 November and has also been identified in Botswana, Belgium , Hong Kong and Israel.
It was designated a ‘Variant of Concern’ by the WHO on Friday, naming it ‘Omicron’. One variant of interest is the WHO’s list of the top COVID-19 variants of concern.
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