Delhi reports second case of Omicron variant; tally in India rises to 33

So far, Omicron cases have been detected in Maharashtra, which has the highest, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Delhi.

Delhi has reported its second case of Omicron after a fully vaccinated individual with a travel history to Zimbabwe and South Africa tested positive for the new variant of the coronavirus deemed to be more dangerous and transmissible than the previous strains.

With the new case in Delhi, India's Omicron tally has risen to 33. (File photo)

“Second case of Omicron Variant reported in Delhi. The person was fully vaccinated and was coming from Zimbabwe. The person had also travelled to South Africa,” news agency ANI reported on Saturday, citing an official of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government.

The patient is undergoing treatment at the LNJP Hospital and only has weakness, officials told news agency PTI.

With the new case in Delhi, India's Omicron tally has risen to 33.

Last Sunday, a 37-year-old fully vaccinated man who arrived in Delhi from Tanzania, became the first patient of Omicron in the national capital. The patient, a resident of Ranchi, travelled from Tanzania to Doha and from there he came to Delhi on a Qatar Airways flight on December 2.

So far, Omicron cases have been detected in Maharashtra, which has the highest number of patients, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Delhi.

A three-and-half-year-old girl in Maharashtra tested positive for Omicron, along with six other people, taking the number of infections of the new variant in the state to 17, according to the state's health department.

Authorities in Mumbai have imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrCP) for December 11 and 12 and prohibited rallies, morchas and processions in wake of the rising cases of the Omicron variant. Violators of the order will be punished under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

On Friday, the Centre warned about the decline in usage of face masks across the country amid the emergence of the Omicron.

Dr VK Paul, NITI Aayog member (health), said people are operating at a “risky and unacceptable” level, stressing that both masks and vaccines are important for protection against coronavirus disease (Covid-19).