India witnessed its Omicron tally breaching the 1,000 mark for the first time, just two days ahead of the new year.
Omicron is a COVID-19 variant first reported in South Africa on November 24 this year. India logged its first such case earlier this month.
As per the health ministry, India’s Omicron tally has touched 1,200 now. Besides, yesterday, the country saw its highest single-day spike in the new COVID strain with 180 infections being recorded during the day.
Maharashtra recorded highest single-day Omicron spike.
One of the highest frequency of cases of Omicron was seen in Maharashtra which has reported 450 infections so far.
Delhi yesterday registered 1,313 new COVID cases, the highest single-day spike since May 26. According to Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, about 50 per cent of the new COVID-19 samples are testing positive for Omicron after genome sequencing.
According to Jain, the community spread occurred after many international travellers who tested Covid-negative at the airport were found to be positive for the disease after a few days.
In wake of rising fears of a third wave of the pandemic, authorities in both Maharashtra and Delhi have cancelled New Year festivities.
A ‘yellow alert’ was issued in Delhi earlier this week, mandating the closure of schools, colleges, gyms, movie theatres, restrictions like night curfew, the opening of shops selling non-essential items on an odd-even basis and halved seating capacity in Metro trains and buses, pubs, restaurants among other things.
