Union Health Minister Chairs Review Meet as Covid’s New Sub-Variants Rise

New Delhi: Amid concerns over the emergence of Omicron’s new sub-variants in the country, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is holding a meeting with the senior health officials here on Tuesday. The number of daily Covid-19 cases have been at an all-time low, 2,060, however, XBB, a recombinant lineage between two Omicron sublineages BJ.1 and BA.2.75, is being reported from different parts of India, including Kerala. 

Earlier on Tuesday, Maharashtra reported a 17.7 percent rise in Coronavirus cases compared to last week, the state health department bulletin said. The bulletin further said the XBB variant had a ‘growth advantage over BA.2.75 and immune evasive property’. Cases of Omicron’s new sub-variants were reported from Thane, Raigad and Mumbai in Maharashtra. 

On Monday, Kerala health minister Veena George held a meeting with the officials from the State health department and directed the officials to intensify preventive measures in view of the spread of genetic variations of Covid-19 (XBB and XBB1) in the country. 

Health experts have advised the people with comorbidities to take extra precautions while visiting public places. As this recombinant variant (XBB) is highly transmissible, the experts have predicted a surge during festivals and in winter. 

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