New Delhi, Dec 17 (Representative) As many as 101 cases of Omicron variant has been reported in the country so far, Union Health Ministry said on Friday. Addressing a press briefing, officials at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said the presence of Omicron has been detected in 11 states till now. “India has reported 101 cases of Omicron in 11 states and UTs with the highest concentration of 32 cases in Maharashtra,” Joint Secretary at Union Health Ministry, Lav Agarwal said. Citing data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Agarwal also informed that Omicron has now reached 91 countries, piling cases of more than 27,000 globally. Meanwhile, Delhi today reported 10 new cases of Omicron, pushing the city’s tally to 20, the officials said.
The 10 new cases were fully vaccinated international travellers, who had recently travelled from Tanzania (one), Belgium (one), the UK (four) and Dubai (four). Three of the new cases had also received booster doses of Covid-19 vaccines. The demand to allow booster doses in India has intensified with the surge of Omicron in India and globally. Certain scientists believe that boosters will help in generating immunity that may have been waned months after full immunisation. The Central government has so far indicated that its approach is towards full immunisation of all eligible population first. However, it has also maintained that the experts are monitoring the growing evidence in respect to the utility of booster shots.
New Delhi, Dec 17 (FN Representative) Hours after Delhi recorded 10 cases of Omicron variant, two more such cases were confirmed in the national capital on late Friday evening, govt sources told UNI. One of the patients is receiving treatment at a private facility while details about another are being furnished, the sources added. The patient is admitted to Max Smart Hospital in Saket, hospital sources confirmed to UNI. The hospital sources informed that the patient had recently travelled abroad and was sent to the facility after testing positive for the COVID-19 at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). “The condition of the patient is stable for now,” the sources added. However, the vaccination status and travel history of the patient admitted in the Max Hospital is yet to be confirmed by the authorities.
Earlier today, 10 fully vaccinated international travellers including a few who are recipients of booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines were confirmed for Omicron variant in Delhi. The patients had travelled from Tanzania (1), Belgium (1), UK (4) and Dubai (4) are under-treatment at Delhi Government-run Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital. A senior doctor from the team looking after the Omicron facility at the hospital said at least three of the patients have received booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines while all of them are asymptomatic to the viral disease. “They have only complained of the sore and scratchy throat so far,” the doctor added. Significantly, no difference in symptoms was noted between those who were fully vaccinated and those who have taken booster shots, according to the senior doctor at the hospital. Delhi had reported its first case of the Omicron variant on December 5 after a 37-year-old resident of Ranchi was tested positive for the variant. The patient was discharged earlier this week. The latest addition to the Omicron cases has pushed the city’s tally to 22 so far, which doubled within 24 hours. Till Thursday morning, the national capital had a cumulative record of 10 Omicron cases.