Variant B.1.1.529 was first reported to WHO on 24 November (Representative)
New Delhi:
The Government on Sunday decided to review the decision on the resumption of scheduled commercial international passenger services as well as the SOP on testing and monitoring of incoming passengers, especially from the countries identified. designated as ‘at risk’, following the emergence of a new variant of COVID-19. related to ‘Omicron’.
The official spokesman said the decisions were made at an emergency meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and attended by a wide range of stakeholders.
The meeting was held a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-level review of 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.
A spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior said that at the meeting chaired by the Interior Minister, the general global situation after the attack of the Omicron virus was comprehensively reviewed and many preventive measures were put in place. used and will be further enhanced were discussed.
The government will review a decision on the effective date of the resumption of scheduled commercial international passenger services under the evolving global scenario, the spokesperson said.
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.
“The Government will review the Standard Operating Procedures for the screening and monitoring of incoming international passengers, particularly for those countries identified as ‘at risk,” the spokesperson said in a series of tweets. muscle’ ‘.
The Government has also decided that genomic surveillance for variants will be further consolidated and enhanced and that Airport Health Officials (APHO) and Port Health Officials (PHO) will be sensitive to closely monitor the testing process at airports and seaports.
“Decision on the effective date of the resumption of scheduled commercial international passenger service, will be reviewed, in light of the evolving global scenario,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said it would maintain closer monitoring of the emerging pandemic situation in the country.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
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