358 Omicron Cases In India, 114 Recovered

New Delhi, Dec. 24: India has reported 358 cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant across 17 states and UTs in India, the Union Health Ministry said Friday evening. 114 people have recovered after being treatment.

The active Omicron caseload in the country is now 244, the government said.

The majority of Omicron cases in India have been reported from Maharashtra (88), Delhi (67), Telangana (38), Tamil Nadu (34), Karnataka (31), Gujarat (30), Kerala (27), Rajasthan (22).

Haryana, Odisha, J&K, Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, UP, Chandigarh, Ladakh and Uttarakhand have reported between one and four cases each of the variant first detected in South Africa last month.

What is worrying, though, is that Health Ministry data this morning indicated 122 new Omicron Covid cases over the previous 24 hours – meaning India’s Omicron caseload jumped by a third in one day.

India’s Omicron caseload crossed 100 exactly one week ago. On Tuesday the caseload crossed 200.

Of the total Omicron Covid cases reported in India so far, 27 per cent had no travel history, reinforcing experts’ fears that the strain is entrenched among the local population.

Also worrying is the point that 91 per cent of all Omicron patients in India were fully vaccinated – that is, they had received the mandatory two doses.

This reinforces a growing body of evidence globally that Omicron has very high vaccine evasion abilities, and underscores the importance of booster shots to ensure protection.

Health Ministry sources today said a study to test the impact of boosters is being planned, and will likely be led by Faridabad-based Translational Health Science and Technology Institute.

Several countries, including the US, the UK, and Australia, have already started a third round of inoculations, and France, this evening, said it would also recommend third shots.

Israel, in fact, is contemplating a fourth round of vaccinations.

India has yet to rollout booster doses of the Covid vaccines currently in use – Covishield and Covaxin – despite calls from medical and scientific experts around the world and the WHO.

Concern over the spread of Omicron has also been raised by the Allahabad High Court, which has asked the Election Commission to reconsider holding Assembly elections in over half-a-dozen states this year, including the country’s most populous state – UP.

Earlier this year Covid caseloads spiked alarmingly in Bengal and other states that held elections, with massive gatherings at campaign rallies and events blamed for the surge.

Over 1.5 lakh cases of the Omicron variant has now been reported from 108 countries, with the UK accounting for over 90,000 and Denmark over 30,000. 26 deaths have been linked to the new strain.

The government said a WHO advisory shows caseloads of the Omicron strain – more transmissible than the Delta variant that drove India’s second wave – is doubling every 1.5 and three days.

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