NEW DELHI: Even though the government is yet to officially acknowledge the presence of Omicron’s sub-variant XE in India, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday held a high-level meeting and directed officials to strengthen the monitoring of new variants.
The minister chaired a review meeting with experts and officials on the new variant, which is 10 per cent more transmissible. He directed officials to constantly review the availability of essential drugs and medicines for Covid-19 treatment as five states — Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, Mizoram and Kerala — have witnessed a slight rise in cases.
The health ministry had been quiet on XE all this while. It rejected claims that one case was found in Maharashtra and did not say anything when another was reported from Gujarat. In a tweet, the minister said he had a meeting with experts on the ‘new XE variant’ and the emergence of new variants.
The meeting was attended by Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Ayog, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Dr Randip Guleria (Director, AIIMS), Dr Balrama Bhargava (Director General, ICMR), Dr N K Arora (chief of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation in India) and senior officials of the health ministry.
The XE variant is a combination of BA.1 and BA.2 strains of Omicron. It has generated concern worldwide and also in India, where all Covid-related restrictions have been lifted. Some states have even made masks non-mandatory. The World Health Organisation has not termed XE a variant of concern yet. However, the global body has said it requires further confirmation.
Mandaviya emphasised that the vaccination drive must be carried out at full pace. He also highlighted that the total fatality rate was much lower in India compared to many developed countries. India reported 380 deaths per million compared to the global average of 788 deaths, he said and added that India was also able to limit the infection’s spread, with 31,383 cases reported per million against 63,458 globally.
Total vaccination above 186 crore
New Delhi: Over 16,709 precaution doses of Covid-19 vaccines were administered to beneficiaries in the 18-59 years age group on Tuesday, taking the total of such doses given in this age group to 44,439, according to the Union health ministry. India’s cumulative vaccination coverage has crossed 186.05 crore (1,86,05,24,339), with 13,28,485 doses administered till 7 pm, the ministry said. It added that the daily vaccination tally is expected to go up with the compilation of the final reports by late night. India began administering the precaution doses of the vaccines to all aged above 18 years at private vaccination centres from Sunday. The response of the first day was lukewarm.