New Delhi/IBNS: Random sampling for the Covid test has been already started for incoming international passengers, the government told parliament on Thursday.

At least 2 percent of the international travellers arriving in India will have to give samples and after which they will be allowed to leave. RT-PCR tests will be conducted on the samples.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a review meeting after 3:30 pm today in view of the jump in coronavirus cases in China.

While no guidelines have been issued yet, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said states have been "advised to ensure protocol is followed.”

The Centre has asked states to send the samples of all positive cases for genome sequencing to understand the virus’s new variants.

India has already reported the presence of a sub-variant of the Omicron variant, called BF.7, which is driving the new surge in China.

The variant has been detected in several other countries, including the US and UK and European nations such as Belgium, Germany, France and Denmark.

It is a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant BA.5, and has the strongest infection ability since it is highly transmissible, has a shorter incubation period, and has a higher capacity to cause reinfection,

Its four cases have been reported in India — the first one in July and the latest in November.

Overall cases in India continue to be relatively meagre at fewer than 200 for several days now.