New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is chairing a meeting, attended by top government officials, on the COVID-19 and vaccination situation in the country.
The meeting comes amid concern over the B.1.1.529 strain of the coronavirus, renamed Omicron by the World Health Organization, which has been red flagged for a number of mutations that might make it more resistant to vaccines, increase transmissibility and lead to more severe symptoms.
The variant – first detected in South Africa this week, and since reported from Botswana, Hong Kong, Israel, and Belgium – is believed to have 50 mutations, including over 30 on the spike protein and 10 on the receptor binding domain.
The spike protein is the target of most current COVID-19 vaccines and is what the virus uses to unlock access to our body’s cells. Researchers are still trying to confirm whether this makes it more transmissible or lethal than earlier variants, and if existing vaccines can protect against the strain.
The WHO has tagged Omicron as a ‘variant of concern’, which puts it alongside the globally-dominant Delta, plus its weaker rivals Alpha, Beta and Gamma.
Last night the government said scheduled international passenger flights to and from India could return to normal, but only for countries not deemed ‘at risk’ by the Health Ministry.
South Africa, Botswana, Israel, and Hong Kong are on the ‘at risk’ list as of Thursday night, meaning only 75 per cent of scheduled passenger flights will be allowed till further notice.
On Thursday India called for rigorous screening of passengers from South Africa, Botswana, and Hong Kong, and the Health Ministry said: “This variant… has serious public health implications in view of recently relaxed visa restrictions and opening of international travel.”
Global panic over new Covid variant Omicron 