Back to Masks & Social Distancing, Airport Alert: In India's Interest, What Health Minister Told Parl

Amid growing concern over the surge of Covid-19 cases in some parts of the world, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that the Centre is committed to tackling the pandemic and urged states to enforce Covid-appropriate behaviour in public spaces in wake of the festive season.

Addressing both Houses of the Parliament during the ongoing Winter Session, the Minister assured parliamentarians that the Central government was keeping an eye on the global Covid-19 situation and taking steps accordingly.

Here are the top 10 points from his address:

• The minister said that India has been reporting 153 new cases on an average every day as against 5.87 lakh on a daily basis across the world, and 220 crore vaccine shots have been administered in the country so far.
• Addressing the row over the Union Health Ministry’s letter asking Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra to follow Covid-19 protocols or suspend the march in the Rajya Sabha, he said, “We haven’t done any politics on Covid”.
• Oxygen plants have been set up in big hospitals across the country and are being run, the minister further said in the Rajya Sabha. “We have reviewed the adequate amount of medicines in the country.”
• Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Mandaviya said, “We have also started the random RT-PCR sampling among passengers arriving at international airports in the country.
• “We are committed to tackling the pandemic and are taking appropriate steps,” the Union Minister assured MPs in the Lok Sabha.
• Mandaviya also advised states to ensure Covid-19 protocols keeping in mind the festive and new year season. “States are advised to make sure people wear masks, use sanitisers and maintain social distancing along with increasing awareness for precautionary doses,” he said.
• “States are advised to increase genome-sequencing to timely identify the new variant of Covid-19,” Mandaviya further said in the Lok Sabha.
• The Centre is keeping an eye on the global Covid situation and taking steps accordingly, the Minister said.
• The health department has been quite proactive in managing the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, adding that the central government has provided financial assistance to states in the fight against the pandemic.
• “From the last few days, Covid cases have been rising in the world but in India, cases are depleting,” the Minister said. “We are seeing rising Covid cases and deaths due to it in China,” he added.

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