Underlining the highly transmissible nature of Omicron and the preponderance of asymptomatic cases, the Centre has urged nine states and union territories to ramp up Covid-19 testing to ensure that infected people do not spread the virus to others. In a letter to Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Jammu and Kashmir and Bihar, Additional Secretary of Union Health Ministry Arti Ahuja pointed out a considerable decline in Covid-19 testing amid rising cases and positivity rate and said it is a “cause of concern”.

In Amritsar, 125 passengers on a charter flight that came from Milan in Italy were found to be Covid-positive, officials have said. There were 179 passengers on the flight. Italy is a “high-risk” country as per the Centre. Meanwhile, the rise in cases also forced the Gujarat government to postpone its much-publicised Vibrant Gujarat summit.