New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Thursday to assess the Covid-19 situation in the country and cautioned against complacency while laying stress on testing and strengthening the surveillance measures, especially at international airports. He emphasized Covid-appropriate behavior at all times, especially in view of the upcoming festive season, including wearing masks in crowded public places.

Consistent decline in cases in India is recorded with five states accounting for 78 percent of the daily new cases

Over the last two days, Chief Ministers of many states around the country have conducted high-level meetings with Senior Officials regarding the preparedness for Covid-19 in their states.

However, amid the fresh global surge in the Covid cases by a new coronavirus variant, B.F7, the Centre government on Friday assured the general public by saying that the Covid positivity rate in the country is declining week-on-week. According to a release, issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday, the positivity rate is declining week-by-week with only 0.14 percent positivity in the week ending on December 22.

“Consistent decline in cases in India is recorded with five states accounting for 78 percent of the daily new cases reported on December 22,” the Health Ministry said, adding that 8 states and 4 UTs currently have zero reported active cases.

The average daily cases on October 7 to 13 were 2,408–1.05 percent, which later reduced to 153– 0.14 percent on December 16 to 22, the official statement read. The average daily cases during the week ending December 21, India has contributed only 0.03 percent of Covid cases in the cases reported globally. India’s global contribution of only 153 cases is highly lesser, as compared to 1,54,521– 26.8 percent of Japan, Health Ministry’s data show. However, the ministry has advised States to step up their Covid related actions.

The Health Ministry urged the States to undertake mock drills across all Health Facilities to ensure the operational readiness of Covid-dedicated facilities with a specific focus on Oxygen Plants, Ventilators, logistics & human resources. Earlier on Friday, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia highlighted the ongoing vaccination drive, launched by the Centre government, against Covid-19 amid the fear of a covid surge in the Country.