Over 200 air passengers found COVID positive; samples show presence of BF.7 variant: Mansukh Mandaviya

New Delhi [India], January 11 : Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday said that over 200 air passengers were found COVID-positive with BF.7 variant during the random sampling at the airports.
He said that more than 15 lakh air passengers were screened for Covid-19.
"Till today, more than 15 lakh air passengers screened for Covid19. Of which more than 200 passengers were found Covid positive; their samples sent for genome sequencing showed that the BF.7 variant was found in many passengers. Our vaccines are effective against this variant," said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
He said that keeping in view the spread of Covid fourth wave in the world, so far 8,700 flights have been traced.
"Amid the COVID fourth wave in the world, we're monitoring every airport. So far 8,700 flights have been monitored. Over 15 lakh passengers have been traced and out of them over 200 passengers have been detected as Covid positive," said Mansukh Mandaviya.
He further added that the vaccine is effective to fight the BF.7 variant.
"All of them were sent for isolation and their samples were sent for genome sequencing. Through genome sequencing, we've found Covid BF.7 variant in some passengers. However, our vaccine is effective enough to fight the BF.7 variant. We're taking all necessary measures," said Mansukh Mandaviya.
India reported 171 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday.
With this, the country's active caseload stands at 2,342.
According to the health ministry, a total of 4,41,47,322 people have recovered since the pandemic's beginning, of which 148 recoveries were registered in the last 24 hours.
The active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections and the recovery rate stands at 98.8 per cent.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.09 per cent while the weekly positivity was at 0.11 per cent, the ministry said.
The country conducted 1,80,926 tests in the last 24 hours and so far a total of 91.25 crore tests have been done.
Under the nationwide vaccination drive, more than 220.15 crore vaccine doses have been administered to eligible people across the country. In the last 24 hours, around 44,397 doses were administered.
220.15 crore Total Vaccine doses (95.14 cr Second Dose and 22.44 cr Precaution Dose) have been administered under Nationwide Vaccination Drive.
Meanwhile, the testing of the sewage samples has not identified any new variant of COVID, a top health expert said on Tuesday.
"The sewage sampling is being done and there also we are not getting any indication that either a new variant is here or there is a possibility of the upsurge of cases in the coming days or weeks," Chairman of COVID-19 working group NTAGI, Dr NK Arora told ANI.
The official said that India has maintained to be in a "reasonably comfortable position" during the last 12 months.
"Our genomic surveillance system has identified almost 300 plus sub-variants of Omicron and they are spread all over the place. From time to time a certain sub-lineage becomes dominant. But the important point is that throughout the years we did not have any massive increase or surge in hospitalizations or deaths," he said.
On Monday Union Health Ministry also said, "Sentinel sequencing of 324 COVID Positive Samples reveals the presence of all Omicron Variants in Community. No mortality or rise in transmission was reported in areas where these variants were detected".