The BF.7 variant of COVID-19, believed to be driving the recent surge of cases in China, was first identified in India as far back as July.

• Four instances of the Omicron subvariant had been genome-sequenced in people in Gujarat and Odisha in subsequent months.
• Two senior officials who were part of a meeting convened by Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday independently confirmed.
• With a rise in coronavirus cases in China triggering global alarm, the Health Minister had convened a meeting of senior officials in the Centre and the National Covid Task Force to assess the situation in India.