New Delhi (TIP)- Passengers arriving from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand – the countries that have reported massive surge in Covid cases might require mandatory negative RT-PCR tests from next week, news agency PTI reported.

As the Centre has stepped up surveillance and asked the states to be alert in view of the global spike in Covid cases, at least 39 international travellers arriving in India have tested positive during the random tests being carried at airports.” 39 international passengers were found positive for Covid-19 out of the 6,000 tested on arrival in the last two days,” official sources told PTI. This comes at a time when Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya is set to visit New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport tomorrow to review the arrangements made to screen foreign travellers.

Health experts have predicted that India will see a Covid surge in January. Cases are projected to rise especially in the next 40 days. The alert has been sounded based on the previous year’s readings.

Following the surge, India has begun to maintain a close watch on the pandemic ahead of New Year. The Centre or the states have not imposed any restriction on celebrations, but urged people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour. Hospitals across the country conducted a mock drill to ensure readiness to deal with any eventuality related to Covid-19.

With only 27 per cent of the eligible adult population having taken the precaution dose, government officials have appealed to those due for it to take it.

India recorded 226 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours. According to the data shared by the Union Health Ministry today (December 31), the total recovery rate reached at around 98.80 per cent and total recoveries data reached to 4,41,44,029.

The total active cases of COVID-19 in India have increased to 3,653, the health ministry data showed on Saturday. Yesterday, the registered active cases were around 3,609.

An increase of total 44 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections, the ministry said.

The total death toll in the country is now at 5,30,702. In India, the first death due to the COVID pandemic was reported in March 2020.  According to the health ministry’s website, 220.10 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive. India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5, 50 lakh on September 16, 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and the one-crore mark on December 19, 2020.

The country crossed the grim milestones of two crore cases on May 4, 2021, three crore on June 23, 2021 and four crore on January 25 this year.