Omicron threat | Centre tells states to conduct surveillance of travellers coming from 'at risk' countries

(Representative image: Reuters)

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on November 27 wrote to all states, asking for rigorous surveillance and increased testing of travellers coming from 'at risk' countries.

The letter from the Health Ministry has been issued in the wake of new coronavirus variant -- Omicron, which was first reported from South Africa on November 24. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also designated this variant as a new Variant of Concern (VoC).

"ln view of the possible threat that this VoC can pose to the nation, it is imperative that the intensive containment, active surveillance, increased coverage of vaccination and Covid Appropriate Behaviour must be enforced in the field in a very proactive manner to effectively manage this VoC," Bhushan said in the letter.

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Among other things -- including enhanced testing, maintenance of covid appropriate behaviour, identification of hotspots and adequate availability of health facilities -- the Secretary also asked the states that all positive samples of travellers from at risk nations should be sent to INSACOG for genome sequencing.

"INSACOG has been established to monitor the circulating variants in the country. It is important at this juncture that States must significantly increase sampling from the general population/community for genome sequencing by sending these samples to INSACOG Lab network as per the policy," the letter added.

Earlier on November 27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired an important meeting on the COVID situation and the vaccination drive in the country with top officials. The meeting took place amid rising global concerns over a new strain of the coronavirus which the WHO has named ’Omicron.

Also, the Union Health Ministry on November 26 said the countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom, and South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel have been put in the "at-risk" category. Passengers coming from 'at-risk' countries have to give their samples at the airport for RT-PCR testing, according to the Union Health Ministry's rules.

• Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar announced on November 27 that passengers arriving at Mumbai airport from South Africa will be quarantined after Omicron was identified in the country. Genome sequencing of passengers will also be done if they are found COVID-19 positive, she said.