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India's Omicron count climbs to 213; Delhi leading with 57 cases
Omicron has so far been detected across 15 states and Union Territories (UTs), the ministry further said. Among these, Delhi has the most number of cases at 57, followed by Maharashtra at 54, Telangana at 24 and Karnataka at 19, as per the data released by the ministry.
The total number of cases of the Omicron variant in India has climbed to 213, the Union health ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The ministry added that 90 patients have recovered from the variant till now.
Omicron has so far been detected across 15 states and Union Territories (UTs), the ministry further said.
Among these, Delhi has the most number of cases at 57, followed by Maharashtra at 54, Telangana at 24 and Karnataka at 19, as per the data released by the ministry.
Also Read| Amid Omicron threat, Covid R-value has gone up in these states
The least number of Omicron cases have been reported from Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Ladakh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal- all with 1 patient infected with Omicron.
New Delhi
In the national capital Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led government announced on Monday that all Covid-19 positive samples will be sent for genome sequencing to track Omicron’s spread. Four private hospitals in Delhi have been converted into dedicated centres for treating patients.
Maharashtra
Eleven more patients were found infected with the variant in Maharashtra on Tuesday. Of these, eight were from the capital city Mumbai. Navi Mumbai, on the other hand, reported its first case of Omicron on Tuesday after a 19-year-old, who travelled to Kenya, tested positive on December 18.
The Maharashtra government has appealed to the state’s residents to not panic over the spread of Omicron but continue to follow all precautions such as wearing masks, social distancing and also get vaccinated against Covid-19.
Karnataka
Karnataka, which is the fourth worst-hit state from Omicron across India, reported five more cases on Monday. The travel history of these five patients is unknown.
To prevent the spread of the variant, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Tuesday that New Year celebrations across Karnataka will take place in a restricted manner. The restrictions, which will be in place from December 30 till January 2, ban any special events. Celebrations are allowed in restaurants and clubs with 50% seating capacity and mandatory full vaccination.
Also Read| Omicron: 'Activate war rooms, consider night lockdowns', Centre asks states
Meanwhile, in view of the Omicron crisis, the central government has ordered states and UTs to activate war rooms and keep analysing even the smallest trends and surges and take strict and prompt containment actions at local and district levels.
Issuing a letter on Tuesday, union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan advised states to consider steps such as night curfews, strict regulation of large gatherings among others.
