The country, which is the world's second-most affected by the pandemic, recently decided to resume international passenger flights from countries considered high-risk for the coronavirus. This decision came after the World Health Organization declared the new variant, Omicron, to be a cause for concern. Prime Minister Modi emphasized the importance of monitoring all international arrivals, testing them according to guidelines, and focusing on countries labeled as high-risk. India has seen a decrease in new COVID-19 cases due to increased vaccinations and antibodies from previous infections, with daily cases dropping by half since September. In the past 24 hours, there were 8,318 new cases reported. The emergence of a new variant, with a spike protein that is significantly different from the existing coronavirus strains targeted by vaccines, has caused concern worldwide and led to a negative impact on financial markets. Prime Minister Modi emphasized the importance of caution and advised the public to take necessary precautions, such as wearing masks and practicing social distancing. He highlighted the need for a proactive approach in response to the new variant and instructed for intensified containment measures and active surveillance in areas with high case numbers. Additionally, he called for technical support to be provided to states experiencing a surge in cases. Modi instructed officials to speed up the administration of second doses, as reported.