Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal calls emergency meeting amid Covid-19's BF.7 variant scare

New Delhi: In view of the sudden spike in the Covid-19 cases in several countries including neibhouring China, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called a emergency meeting on Thursday,  news agency PTI quoted officials as saying. In view of the rapid increase in Covid cases, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has directed the authorities to be on aleart and strengthen surveillance. While he also asked the people to use face masks in crowded places. Three cases of the Omicron subvariant BF.7, apparently the strain driving China's current surge of coronavirus cases, have been detected in India so far - two from Gujarat and one from Odisha. "The Delhi government is keeping a watch on the COVID-19 situation and the chief minister has directed the health department to ensure genome sequencing of samples and take other steps needed to meet any eventuality", news agency PTI quoted officials as saying.

"Delhi government is alert. CM Kejriwal has called an emergency meeting regarding coronavirus tomorrow," official said to PTI on Wednesday.

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Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in Japan, South Korea, Brazil, China and the US, the central government had on Tuesday urged all states and Union territories to gear up the whole genome sequencing of positive samples to keep track of emerging variants.

In a letter to the states and UTs, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had said such an exercise will enable timely detection of newer variants, if any, circulating in the country and will facilitate undertaking of requisite public health measures.

Public health challenge of COVID-19 still persists around the world with around 35 lakh cases reported weekly.

(With PTI inputs)