Amid a rise in cases of the new strain of the Covid-19 virus Omicron in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a crucial meeting today. PM Modi will review the situation of the Covid-19 virus, the new variant Omicron and the nation's efforts.
India had reported 100 cases of the new strain on December 17. The Omicron tally crossed the 200 mark on Tuesday, taking just five days to go from 100 to 200 cases. Maharashtra and Delhi account for more than half of the cases.
The daily cases nationwide have been staying below the 8,000 mark for a while, even as some states are showing an upward trend.
The Union health ministry issued an alert on Tuesday to states and union territories about the Omicron variant. According to some studies, it is three times more transmissible. The World Health Organisation (WHO) also termed it as a 'variant of concern'.
The Centre also directed states and UTs to up the vigilance in this regard and consider steps like night curfew. It suggested banning large gatherings if the number of positive cases goes above 10 percent of all tests done in a week or if the occupancy of hospital beds breaches 40% of capacity.