Omicron’s Community Transmission In Delhi With 50% Of Cases: Sources

All samples from metro cities – that have tested positive for Covid – are being sent for genome sequencing, government sources said today, amid fears over an Omicron-driven third wave, adding that 18% of recent samples in India had the new variant.

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In Delhi, the new variant – said to be highly infectious – has been found in 50 per cent of the samples that tested Covid positive since December 12, sources in the Health Ministry said, confirming the community spread of Omicron in the national capital.

Delhi has recorded nine Covid deaths this month, the highest in the last four months, as the national capital continues to see a worrying surge in cases. On Thursday, 1,313 new infections were logged – the biggest daily surge in seven months.

Earlier this week, the Arvind Kejriwal government brought in fresh restrictions under the “yellow alert” in the city, including temporarily closing cinema halls, schools, among other curbs.

Mumbai is another big city where a huge spike has pushed Maharashtra to bring in new curbs at beaches, open grounds, sea faces, promenades, parks, and other public places till January 15.

Sources in the Health Ministry said they’re analysing if there is a community spread in Mumbai yet.

The city recorded 190 Omicron cases on Thursday as it logged 3,671 infections – a huge jump of 46 per cent from the day before. Mumbai’s civic body has said that a third of the samples of residents that tested positive between December 21-December 22 are of the Omicron variant – the patients had no travel history.

In December, 16,000 samples from across the country were sent for genome sequencing as the world woke up to the new variant that has now spread across the countries. The doubling rate of Omicron is two to three days.

It has been seen that Omicron has been able to evade vaccine immunity.

Gurgaon, Bengaluru and Kolkata have also seen a surge in coronavirus cases as the country prepares for a third wave.

Kerala, which has seen a worrying surge in infections earlier, recorded 44 Omicron cases today.