Some opposition leaders and Twitter users in India have called for suspension of flights to and from China. A government source, who was not authorized to speak to the media and declined to be identified, said there were no such plans.
Mandaviya asked participants in the cross-country march organized by the opposition Congress party to ensure they get vaccinated and follow safety measures like wearing masks.
With over 44 million COVID cases so far, India has reported the most in the world after the United States. However, its number of confirmed infections has declined sharply over the past few months, with around 1,200 cases being reported every week at present.