Modi, Chief Ministers review state-specific Covid scenarios

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday interacted with chief ministers over the Covid situation in the country amid a surge in coronavirus cases due to its Omicron variant.

The interaction has been held via video-conferencing.

The meeting came on a day India logged 2,47,417 new infections, the highest in 236 days, taking the total tally of Covid cases to 3,63,17,927, which included 5,488 cases of the Omicron variant, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

Home Minister Amit Shah and Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also attended the meeting.

Fresh curbs have been imposed in various parts of the country to check the spread of the highly transmissible virus.

Reviewing the Covid situation at a high-level meeting on Sunday, Modi had called for ensuring adequate health infrastructure at the district level and accelerating the vaccination drive for adolescents in mission mode.

The precaution vaccination drive for healthcare and frontline workers, besides those over 60 years of age with comorbidities, has also started.

Vaccination remains among the most effective means to fight Covid, Modi had said.

The prime minister had said that a meeting with the chief ministers be convened to discuss state-specific scenarios, best practices and the public health response.