India’s first death linked to Omicron variant reported in the western state of Rajasthan, the deceased has been recognized as a 74-year-old man, said the health ministry on Wednesday. According to officials, the man had been suffering from diabetes and other comorbid conditions.
The country’s Omicron tally stands at 2,630, with Maharashtra and Delhi reporting the highest number of cases. As cases of coronavirus in India continue to show an upward trend, India reported 90,928 new COVID cases on Thursday, 6 January, a huge jump from the 58,097 cases on Wednesday.
India’s Active Caseload is presently at 2,85,401. Active cases constitute 0.81% of the country’s total Positive Cases.
📍New #COVID19 cases in last 24 hours (As on 6th January, 2022): 90,928
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“Technically it is an Omicron-related death. He was an elderly person who had diabetes and comorbid conditions,” Health Ministry Joint Secretary, Lav Agarwal said at the daily press briefing on Wednesday.
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The patient was allegedly admitted to a hospital in Udaipur city in Rajasthan state on December 15 and died 15days later, reported the Indian Express. The man was fully vaccinated, said the doctors.
During Wednesday’s briefing, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) chief Balram Bhargava said that the Omicron variant is the “predominant circulating strain in cities and all mass gatherings must be avoided”.
Mr Agarwal said the states of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Delhi, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Jharkhand are “some of the emerging states of concern”, with a sharp surge in weekly cases and positivity rates.
India has recorded more than 35 million Covid cases so far and over 482,000 deaths from the virus.
A catastrophic second wave in April and May 2021 saw cases and deaths climb as hospitals ran out of beds, oxygen and life-saving drugs. Omicron are less likely to spend time in hospitals in critical care compared to previous variants suggested by the initial data.
But the experts and doctors fear that a spike could still disrupt healthcare services – especially as India is preparing for multiple state elections, which are often escorted by massive rallies.
Several states, including Delhi and Maharashtra, have reintroduced curbs and temporary curfews to limit gatherings and arrest the spread of the virus.
