India ramps up testing to slow Omicron spread
PCR TESTS A MUST FOR FOREIGN TRAVELLERS AND JABS DRIVE TO SPEED UP
INDIA’S health ministry said on Tuesday (30) states should ramp up Covid-19 testing as the world battles the new coronavirus variant Omicron, while some cities delayed the reopening of schools as a precautionary measure.
The ministry also said the Omicron variant “doesn’t escape RT-PCR and RAT (testing)”, appeasing some concerns among domestic health workers that changes in the spike protein of the virus could lead to conventional tests failing to detect the variant.
It comes as the ministry warned state governments last week that a recent fall in testing could undermine India’s efforts to contain the pandemic.
While India has not reported any Omicron cases yet, authorities are studying the sample of a man who tested positive for Covid-19 after recently returning from South Africa to see if he is infected with the Omicron or another variant.
Covid-19 testing on arrival will be mandatory for flyers from more than a dozen countries, including South Africa and Britain, where the Omicron variant has been detected, India’s health ministry said on Monday (29).
The decision will be effective from Wednesday (1).
The health ministry said all arrivals from Europe, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel will be tested at the airport using the RT-PCR method.
Additionally, five per cent of all travellers from other countries will be randomly tested, the ministry added.
Prime minister Narendra Modi has already asked officials to review a decision to resume all scheduled international flights from December 15. Currently
only special flights as per bilateral or other agreements are flying.
Modi told officials to accelerate second-dose coverage, a government statement said.
India’s Bharat Biotech said on Tuesday it was studying if its Covaxin shot would work against variants of coronavirus such as Omicron, after the CEO of drugmaker Moderna warned existing vaccines would be less effective.
“Covaxin was developed against the original Wuhan variant,” a Bharat Biotech spokesperson told Reuters in a text message, referring to the Chinese city where the virus first emerged.
“It has shown that it can work against other variants, including the Delta variant. We continue to research on new variants.”
Also on Tuesday, Mumbai’s municipal corporation said it was delaying reopening schools for younger children to December 15 instead of Wednesday (1) as a precautionary measure given the global situation involving Omicron. In-person classes for senior students began about two months ago.
The city of Pune, in Maharashtra, has also postponed the reopening of schools, local media reported.
After battling a record jump in infections and deaths in April and May, cases have come down substantially in India.
Its Covid-19 cases rose by 6,990 on Tuesday – the smallest increase in 551 days – to 34.59 million. Only the United States has reported more total infections.
Guidelines for international travellers arriving in India are available by this link: