PM Modi on Omicron and Extension of Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned citizens on Monday to be on the lookout for the new Coronavirus variant Omicron, which is wreaking havoc throughout the world. Omicron has expanded rapidly since its discovery in southern African countries, and it is thought to be more harmful than Delta, the main strain. 

In his address at the start of the winter session of Parliament, Prime Minister Modi remarked that "We have administered more than 100 crore doses of Covid vaccines during the challenging times of the pandemic. Now we are moving towards 150 crore doses. The news of the emergence of a new Coronavirus variant makes us more alert. We all should stay alert in view of the new variant of Covid-19,"  

He stated that the government's first concern is the citizens' health. The Prime Minister also stated that the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, which provides free grains to the poor, will be extended till March 2022. 

He also told the reporters during his address that, "We are running the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana to provide free grains to more than 80 crore people of the country so that they don't face more problems. The scheme has now been extended to March 2022. With the cost of nearly ₹2,60,000 crore, the scheme assures that over 80 crore people have food to cook in their home,"  

The government gives a free ration of 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month to a maximum of 81.35 crore beneficiaries under the NFSA (Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Priority Households) plan, including those receiving Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). 

These comments of the PM on the virus were after the World Health Organisation recently released a Notice to countries to regulate international travel etc to stop the spread of this new strain. However ever since its discovery, it has managed to spread to more than a dozen countries, many of which have imposed travel restrictions to try to seal themselves off. Japan on Monday joined Israel in saying it would close its borders to foreigners.

"The impact on vulnerable populations would be substantial, particularly in countries with low vaccination coverage,” the WHO stated. In vaccinated persons, meanwhile, "COVID-19 cases and infections are expected ... albeit in a small and predictable proportion”.