India experienced two waves of the epidemic in 2020 and 2021.
India’s health ministry declared an alert following an increase in Covid cases in neighboring China.
The government has instructed states in the country to ensure tracing and identification of virus strains in all positive cases.
It also asked state governments to intensify efforts to limit any possible spread during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
India witnessed two deadly waves of Covid in 2020 and 2021, but infection levels have decreased this year.
The country, according to government data, is reporting close to 1,200 Covid cases each week.
More than 2.2 billion doses of Covid vaccine have been administered so far.
On Tuesday, the federal government asked states to send Covid samples from all infected patients to laboratories run by the main center of the Ministry of Health, which studies and monitors different Covid strains in India.
The move came amid growing concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19 in China following the recent easing of strict lockdown measures.
Hospitals and medical facilities in China have come under increasing pressure, as those who test positive at home seek medical support.
Federal Health Minister Rajesh Bhushan, in a letter to all states, said it was important to track the new variants through genome tracing because “The sudden surge of cases seen in Japan, USA, Republic of Korea, Brazil and China”.
He said this will help the authorities detect new variants and take measures to contain them.
Health Minister Mansukh Mandavia met senior officials on Wednesday to review the situation and step up monitoring.
India was one of the hardest hit countries during the first two waves of Covid. Millions have been affected and more than 530,000 people have died, according to official figures.
But experts believe the true number of Covid deaths might be much higher because many of the cases in which people died were not tested or not reported in official numbers.
The government was heavily criticized for its poor preparation during the second wave in the summer of 2021, when many people died due to a lack of oxygen and vital medicines.
