No cases of Omicron Covid-19 variant in India, health minister Mandaviya tells Parliament

rnUnion health and family weal minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that no cases of the omicron Covid-19 variant have been detected in India so far, during the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha. Amid enterprises about the brewing trouble of the new Omicron or theB.1.1.529 variant ofCovid-19the Union government on Tuesday said that there were no reported cases of the variant in the country, so far. The statement was made by Union health and family weal minister Mansukh Mandaviya in the Rajya Sabha during Parliament’s Winter Session on the day. “ No case of Omicron Covid-19 variant has been reported in India so far,” the minister said while speaking during the Question Hour. “ We're incontinently checking suspicious cases and conducting genome sequencing. We've learnt a lot during the Covid extremity. Moment, we've a lot of coffers and laboratories. We can manage any situation,” the minister further quoted as saying. The minister’s reflections came a day after elderly government officers on Monday had also reportedly said that there were no cases of the variant, stressed to be much further transmittable, detected in India. Still, the officers also said that the results of the genomic analysis of transnational passengers who have arrived in India lately were being expedited, news agency PTI reported. Meanwhile, the Centre’s‘Har Ghar Dastak’ door-to- door vaccination crusade has been extended and will continue until December 31 with a focus on inoculation of first boluses to all eligible populations in the country and also for completing the backlog in administering alternate boluses, the Union health ministry said. On Tuesday, the Union home ministry blazoned that the being restrictions related to Covid-19 in the country would be extended till the end of the time (December 31). The ministry also stressed the need for strict compliance with the premonitory issued by the Union health ministry in light of the emergence of the Omicron variant. Before in the day, Union health clerkRajesh Bhushan held a review meeting with countries and Union homes during which they were advised to enhance testing of transnational passengers for Covid-19 strengthen the testing structure and also trace their connections. “ Union health clerk advised countries to not to let their guards down, and keep a strict surveillance on the transnational passengers coming to the country through colorful airfields, anchorages and land border crossings,” the health ministry said in a statement.