India will start randomly testing two per cent of international passengers arriving at its airports for COVID-19, Mansukh Mandaviya, the country's health minister tells Parliament, as the country steps up surveillance for new coronavirus variants.
"Random COVID RT-PCR of 2 percent of passengers arriving from foreign countries on international airports has started from today....With the emergence of changing variants of COVID-19, the government is taking suitable steps to face the challenges. The states have been advised to step up surveillance and they are being advised to take appropriate steps to control the spread. The states have also been advised to increase the genome sequencing of positive cases so that in case there is a new variant, it is identified and suitable steps are taken to control its spread."
A day earlier, Mr Mandaviya met senior government officials to discuss the coronavirus situation after China saw a surge in infections after ending strict COVID restrictions.
Data from the World Health Organization showed infections have risen in countries like Japan, South Korea and the United States in recent days.
India's iconic Taj Mahal, which attracts thousands of tourists every day will now require visitors to undergo a COVID-19 test before they enter.
Lawmakers attending the ongoing winter session of parliament were spotted wearing masks, though masks have not been compulsory in most parts of the country for several months.
Meanwhile, people at airports and markets were seen without masks and not following coronavirus protocols despite a government advisory, causing concern for shoppers.
