Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Wednesday hold a meeting of the Council of Ministers amid the spread of the new Omicron variant of coronavirus. According to Hindustan Times’ sister publication Livehindustan, the meeting will take place at 4pm.
It further reported that all the ministers are expected to be present in the meeting, and the discussion points include next year’s assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and other states.
PM Modi had chaired a review meeting last Thursday where he asked seniors officials to maintain a high level of vigil and alertness.
“In view of the new variant, we should be ‘satark’ (alert) and ‘saavdhan’ (take precaution),” the PM added.
He said the fight against the pandemic is not over and the need for continued adherence to Covid protocols is of paramount importance even today.
PM Modi also gave directions for accelerating the testing to ensure quick identification of cases for timely containment and treatment.
India has logged 653 cases of the Omicron variant across 21 states and union territories (UTs) so far, out of which 186 people have recovered or migrated, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday.
Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of 167 such cases followed by Delhi at 165, Kerala 57, Telangana 55, Gujarat 49 and Rajasthan 46.
The situation in the national capital is particularly worrying as it recorded 331 fresh coronavirus cases on Monday, the highest single-day rise since June 9.
The positivity rate in the national capital increased to 0.68 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department. Since it breached the 0.5 per cent threshold, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government imposed tight restrictions on gatherings and movement of people under the Graded Action Response Plan (GRAP).
The Delhi government has shut down cinema halls, gyms, spas and auditorium halls, and has asked Metro to run with 50 per cent capacity with no standing passenger.
