<span style="color: #222222;">The Government is closely monitoring the situation arising out of new Covid variant- Omicron with experts on a daily basis. Replying  to a short duration discussion on the situation arising out of Omicron cases in the country, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in the Rajya Sabha today that so far 161 Omicron cases have been reported in the country.<br />''<br />'' He said, the culture report of the new variant will come next week which will clarify whether the Covid vaccines are effective on it or not. The Minister said that learning from the experience during the first and second waves, the Centre has arranged a buffer stock of critical medicines.<br />''<br />'' Mr Mandaviya said that today all states and UTs have been provided adequate quantity of vaccines and a total of 17 crore doses of vaccines are still available with them. He further informed that the vaccine manufacturing capacity has been increased and at present the country has a capacity to manufacture 31 crore doses of vaccine per month. In the next two months, the capacity will be further increased to 45 crore doses a month.<br />''<br />''The Health Minister added that with the efforts of our healthcare workers,  a majority of the population in India is vaccinated today as 88 per cent of eligible population have received the first dose.  The House took up the discussion on the issue amid noisy scene.</span><br />