On Sunday, the Taj Mahal in Agra tested positive for COVID-19 in a guy who had just returned from China, according to Dr. Arun Kumar Srivastava, chief medical officer (CMO) of Agra. To determine the variation, the material has been submitted to Lucknow for genome sequencing.
“Today a corona patient has also been found in Agra who returned from China a few days back. The sample has been sent to Lucknow for genome sequencing. Genome sequencing is important because he came from China. He landed on December 22 in India and on December 23 he reached Agra. We are trying to trace his contacts. The person has not come in contact with many people as he was in his room most of the time since his arrival,” said Dr Srivastava.
An warning has been issued in India as well because to the COVID-19 outbreak that has spread to numerous other nations. While there has been a sharp increase in Covid instances in other nations, including China, testing has been stepped up at the Agra train station, bus stops, and airport in accordance with the Center’s standards.
In response to the latest Covid issue, health authorities in Agra have started checking visitors at the Taj Mahal and other landmarks, concentrating their efforts mostly on international tourists. The Taj Mahal in Agra attracts a sizable number of visitors from both inside and outside the country every day.
In light of the circumstance, they will have to do a Covid test before their arrival, according to the official sources. Anil Satsangi, the District Health Information Officer (Agra) had said, “The health department has already started the tests to prevent the spread of infection. As the alert is on, the tests have now been made mandatory for all the visitors.”
Numerous visitors descended to the Taj Mahal on both Sunday and Christmas. There were long lineups of tourists at the Taj’s entrance, making it impossible for the health workers stationed there to monitor and sample. India reported 227 new COVID cases in the previous day on Sunday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs.
In response to the COVID alert caused by a rise in infections in several nations, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare agreed on Saturday to organise simulated drills at all medical institutions around the nation on December 27. This is to guarantee preparation in the event of a spike in COVID cases in India, as well as the provision of oxygen assistance and ICU beds, among other preparatory measures. The Ministry states that the exercise’s goal is to make sure these healthcare facilities are operationally prepared for the management of COVID.
The major emphasis, according to the description of the criteria during the mock drills, will be on the bed capacity at the medical institutions, including isolation, oxygen-supported, and ICU beds. With the recent detection of the novel Omicron sub-variant BF.7 in India, which is thought to be the cause of the rise in Covid cases in China, the entire nation is preparing for a potential fourth wave of Covid-19.