The number of cases of Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to rise in India and it has now spread to at least 22 states and Union Territories. The total number of cases of this variant has now increased to 961. Out of this, 320 patients have recovered, according to the Ministry of Health. The total active caseload of India stands at 82,402. Most numbers of active cases are in Kerala and Maharashtra. While they have more than 10,000 active cases, there are around 31 states where the number of active cases is less than 5,000.
States with highest active cases of Omicron
- Delhi – 263
- Maharashtra – 252
- Gujarat – 97
- Rajasthan – 69
- Kerala – 65
The Omicron, which has already been declared a ‘variant of concern’ by the World Health Organization, has claimed 59 lives globally. The total number of reported cases of the Omicron around the world is over 3 lakh and these have been reported in 121 countries. What is worrying is that these cases have been reported in just one month. South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, and France are the countries with a high presence of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The only solace is that despite Omicron having a growth advantage over the Delta variant, it has a doubling time of 2-3 days, there is a reduced risk of hospitalization for the Omicron compared to all previous variants.
Meanwhile, the government has said that around 90 per cent of the adult population in India has been vaccinated against COVID-19 with the first dose. Around 63.5 per cent of the eligible population has received the second. Overall, more than 143.83 crore total doses have been administered so far.
Amid fears of the third wave, several states have started imposing restrictions to curb the spread of the Omicron.