India strengthens passenger control for new South African strain | World | DW

This Friday (11/26/2021) with 10,549 new cases the corona virus infections in India have been stable for several weeks, but the discovery of a new variant by the South African health authorities has prompted the Indian government to ask for “strict control”. Of travelers.

“This variation has been reported to have a significantly higher number of mutations, thus having a serious public health impact (for India),” Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in a letter to the states. And collected by local news agency PTI.

South African scientists and health officials have confirmed the detection of a new variant of the corona virus, which was identified as B.1.1.529 last Thursday, with several cases found in neighboring Botswana and Hong Kong.

South African scientists are concerned about the thirty mutations in the variant because some of them may have implications for their ability to spread and prevent previous immunity or defense.

India has opened its borders to tourists

Bhushan said it was “compulsory” for Indian states to “subject to strict scrutiny” all travelers who came or traveled through these three countries.

The emergence of this new variant has troubled Indian authorities, who opened its borders to foreign tourists on November 15 after the Indian government restricted entry into the country to curb the spread of the epidemic.

However, South Africa and Botswana are on the Indian government’s list of endangered countries, and travelers from these countries must already undergo additional checks upon arrival in the Asian country.

In recent weeks, the number of coronavirus infections has been steadily rising to about 10,000 a day.

mg (efe, The Hindu Business Line)