Omicron cases in India rise to 578, Delhi records huge spike of 63 cases

The number of Omicron cases in India has increased significantly in the past few days, with the rising fears of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic looming in states. Till now, a total of 578 cases of the new COVID-19 variant have been recorded in the country.

As per the official announcement made by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a huge surge of Omicron cases has been witnessed in Delhi. The national capital has reported 63 cases of the COVID-19 variant, bringing the total tally of cases up to 142.

The highest number of Omicron cases in India has been recorded in Delhi, followed by Maharashtra, where a total of 141 cases have been detected till now. 57 Omicron cases have been recorded in Kerala while 49 cases have been recorded in Gujarat.

https://t.co/6SMyeEwtST pic.twitter.com/5A3QLkDUFH

— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) December 27, 2021

Till now, the Omicron variant has been detected in 19 states across India. Out of the 578 cases of the new COVID-19 variant in the country, 151 patients have been discharged, recovered, or migrated, leaving a total of 427 active cases in India, as per the Health Ministry.

As several states have reported Omicron cases in their borders over the past month, many state governments have decided to tighten the travel restrictions and impose night curfews for the Christmas and New Year period to restrict gatherings.

States such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, and others have imposed night curfews for the current holiday season. States have also amped up their COVID-19 vaccination drives to break the chain of Omicron spread.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on the night of December 25, asking the citizens of India not to panic amid the current situation, but to maintain all the proper COVID-19 precautions since the pandemic is not over yet.

PM Modi also announced that the vaccination drive for teens between the ages 15 to 18 will commence from January, as well as the administration of precaution doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to frontline and healthcare workers and those over 60 with comorbidities.