Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Dec 21: The Union Health Ministry ordered States and Union Territories to provide samples of all COVID-19 positive cases to INSACOG labs on Tuesday in order to track new variants, if any, in light of the recent rise in cases of COVID-19 in various nations.
Both INSACOG and the Health Ministry are closely monitoring the situation.
“In view of the sudden spurt of cases being witnessed in Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of Korea, Brazil and China, it is essential to gear up the whole genome sequencing of positive cases samples to track the variants through SARS-CoV-2 Genome Consortium Network (INSACOG) network,” said Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan in a letter addressed to the States and Union Territories on Tuesday.
“All states are requested to ensure that as far as possible samples of all positive cases, on a daily basis, are sent to the designated INSACOG Genome Sequencing Laboratories (IGSLs) that are mapped to the States and UTs,” he added.
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“Such an exercise will enable the timely detection of new variants. If any, circulating in the country and will facilitate the undertaking of requisite public health measures for the same,” he further said.
Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will hold a meeting with senior officials and experts on the COVID-19 situation in the country today. He will also review meetings on Covid 19 situations in other countries.
