Union Health Ministry Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday, 21 December, said that COVID is not over yet but "we are prepared to manage any situation." This comes amid steep spike in the both number of COVID-19 cases, and the deaths associated to the pandemic, in China.
The big point: Dr Vinod Kumar Paul, Member of Health at NITI Aayog appealed to the country’s citizens to wear a mask, and advised them to take the precautionary dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
“Use a mask if you are in a crowded space, indoors or outdoors. This is all the more important for people with comorbidities or are of higher age,” he told media.
“Less than 28 percent of people have taken precaution dose. We appeal to others, especially senior citizens, to take precaution dose," he said.
Why this matters?
The Health Ministry had on Tuesday, 20 December, directed states to increase genome sequencing of positive cases – to track the variants currently infecting people in India.