The Centre on Thursday wrote to Delhi, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Jharkhand, advising the states to enhance Covid-19 testing, strengthen hospital-level preparedness, increase pace and coverage of vaccination. The warning comes as India on Thursday reported 13,154 new Covid cases in a sharp rise in the last 24 hours. India's Omicron tally on Thursday surged to 961. The weekly positivity rate in the country is 0.76 per cent which remains lesser than 1 per cent for the last 46 days. The daily positivity rate is 1.10 per cent which remains lesser than 2 per cent for the last 87 days.
Delhi has the maximum number of 263 Omicron cases followed by Maharashtra at 252, Gujarat 97, Rajasthan 69, Kerala 65 and Telangana 62.
Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said the latest variant, which is replacing Delta in other countries, is gradually spreading in the community as people without foreign travel history are getting infected. A yellow alert has been issued in Delhi halving the capacity of public transport, creating a rush among office goers. While serpentine lines are seen in front of metro entrances, a group of people on Thursday blocked the MB road and damaged DTC buses after not being allowed to board it.
Amid the apprehension of the third wave of Covid striking the country in 2022 when several states will go to the elections, chief election commissioner Sushil Chandra on Thursday said political parties in UP want the state election not to be postponed. “Representatives of all political parties met us and told us that elections should be conducted on time following all Covid-19 protocols,” Chandra said at a press conference.