In light of the escalating number of coronavirus cases across the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called a high-level conference on Wednesday to assess the situation with COVID and public health readiness. In addition to emphasizing COVIDs proper behavior, he instructed the officials to improve whole genome sequencing.

In a statement released by the Prime Ministers Office (PMO), it was noted that PM Modi presided over the meeting to assess the COVID-19 and influenza situation in the nation in terms of the readiness of the health infrastructure and logistics, the status of the vaccination campaign, the emergence of new COVID-19 variants and influenza types, as well as their public health implications for the nation.

Dr. Rajesh Bhushan, the secretary of health, gave a thorough presentation on the global Covid-19 situation, including the increasing number of cases in India, during the conference.  According to information provided to the prime minister, India has seen a modest increase in new cases, with an average daily case count of 888 and a weekly positive rate of 0.98% for the week ending March 22.

The statement claimed that a briefing on the actions taken in response to the Prime Ministers directives during the most recent COVID review on December 22, 2022, was also provided. The influenza A virus subtype, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is responsible for the sharp increase in flu cases.

In the presentation, Dr. Bhushan pointed out that Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka are some of the few states that are reporting higher numbers of cases, indicating possible localized spread of infection. Hence, he suggested that there is a need to follow a risk assessment-based approach to prevent and contain the infection.

(Source: https://www.cnbctv18.com/healthcare/pm-modi-holds-high-level-meeting-to-review-covid-situation-preparedness-16235611.htm )