According to the results of the government’s fourth serosurvey, approximately 67.6% of Indians have developed antibodies against SARS-COV-2, either through infection or vaccination. While this means that more than half of the population is immune at this time — amid fears of a third wave — the ministry has issued a travel warning, stating that no one should travel without being fully vaccinated at this time.
The Centre’s seven-point recommendation is as follows:
- No room for complacency: The fourth serosurvey’s findings provide a ray of hope, but there is no room for complacency because a large portion of the population, 32%, remains vulnerable.
- No statement on district-by-district situation: The government stated that the situation at the local or district level may differ from the overall situation because the national serosurvey is only a bird’s eye view of the country’s overall immunity situation.
- State-level action is required: States must continue local serosurveys to determine the percentage of the population immune to Covid in order to take state-level action.
- Future waves of infection are possible: The findings of the serosurvey indicate that future waves of infection are possible, according to the Union health ministry, because some states have reported higher immunity against Covid, while others have reported lower immunity. States with lower immunity in the serosurvey are naturally more vulnerable to future waves.
- No non-essential travel: As states relax their restrictions, mobility has increased not only in tourist destinations but also in local markets since the first week of July. States have reintroduced some restrictions after being prodded by the government. On Tuesday, the government stated that non-essential travel should be avoided.
- Avoid societal, public religious, and political congregations: Despite the fact that many states have relaxed public gathering rules, the government says that given the situation, societal, public religious, and political congregations must be avoided. Kanwar Yatra has been cancelled by the governments of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi.
- Travel only if fully vaccinated: Emphasizing the importance of full vaccination, which includes the full course of two vaccine doses to be taken in a recommended gap, the government stated that individuals should only travel if they are fully vaccinated.
Following uncontrolled crowding and a plateau in the Covid-19 situation in some areas, some states have reinstated the requirement for a negative RT-PCR test report for entry.
