Amid the emergence and spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to hold a meeting on Thursday to review the Covid-19 situation in the country, sources said. Currently, cases of the new Omicron variant are rising in the country, making several states starting to impose restrictions to stop the spread of the virus. Even as the possibility of a third wave in India is being debated by several experts, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Wednesday directed district magistrates to ensure no Christmas and New Year gatherings take place in the national capital. The DDMA issued orders to enforce the “No Mask, No Entry” rule at shops and workplaces.
As per the data obtained by the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday, around 213 patients have been detected with the new Omicron variant. Delhi has reported 57 cases so far, whereas Maharashtra has reported 54 cases of Omicron. Delhi reported 125 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the biggest single-day spike in the last six months. On 22 June this year, 134 Covid cases were reported in Delhi. As per Delhi’s health bulletin on Wednesday, the positivity rate remained 0.20% for the third consecutive day. The number of active infections has mounted to 624, the highest in nearly five months. On 16 July, there were 657 active cases in Delhi.
As many as nine more Omicron cases were reported in Kerala, taking the total infections of this variant to 24, said state Health Minister Veena George on Wednesday. Of the nine cases, two people are returnees from the United Kingdom, two are returnees from Tanzania, one from Ghana, one from Ireland and three from Nigeria.
The Centre has taken adequate preparations to fight against the evolving situation of the new variant. The Centre is also in touch with the state governments to check the Covid-19 preparations and measures, sources said.
PM Modi has asked officials to review the plans of easing travel restrictions concerning international travel. Health officials are strictly vigilant of the evolving situation and have urged the people to be cautious and follow Covid-19 guidelines. Looking at the evolving cases, the Prime Minister has also extended the scheme of free distribution of grains till March 2022.
“It is too early to say anything for now. However, there is a possibility of a third wave, if people are not cautious. We will get to know it soon,” Dr Shikhar Mishra, a general practitioner from Siliguri told The Daily Guardian.
Looking into the requirement for a booster dose in India, Dr Debayan Mallik, the in-charge of the rural health centre of the JIMS hospital, Kolkata, told this newspaper, “It is too early to say whether India needs a booster dose or not, but it will help the frontline workers at the time of the next outbreak.”
Another microbiologist from Gujarat, Dr Mitesh H. Patel, told this newspaper, “As per the current scenario, there is a possibility of the third wave after one or two months.”
Some states and UTs like Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Ladakh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have reported only one case each, while Jammu and Kashmir reported 3 cases of Omicron. Karnataka has reported 19 cases, while Rajasthan has reported 18 cases, Kerala has reported 15 cases, Gujarat has reported 14 cases of the new variant. India reported 6,317 fresh Covid-19 cases and 318 deaths in the last 24 hours, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. The country’s active caseload currently stands at 78,190, the lowest in 575 days. According to the Ministry, 213 cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been reported in the country so far. Out of this, Delhi topped the list with 57 confirmed cases followed by Maharashtra (54 cases) and Telangana (24 cases).
The Union Health Ministry had on Tuesday alerted states and Union Territories about Omicron, and said that based on current scientific evidence, Omicron is at least three times more transmissible than the Delta variant.
Dr Vivek Nangia, Principal Director and Head of Pulmonology, Max Hospital, Saket Complex said, “As of now we have got patients who are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic and no significant symptoms or complications have developed so far. Patients admitted do not even require oxygen or any other IV medication. All the patients admitted here have been asked to get institutional quarantine by the government. These are the travellers who were returning from other countries like the UK and were tested positive at the airport and asked for an institutional quarantine. So far they all got very mild to no symptoms at all.”
“The way things are going we are already seeing a surge in a number of cases. Initially, we saw 20 to 30 cases being reported, now we are seeing cases in hundreds. The number of cases will keep increasing, especially due to the upcoming festive season. Moreover, with people moving around, I am sure we are in trouble,” he added. “It’s high time we all should be cautious and follow all the Covid protocol behaviour; otherwise, we will be in trouble again similar to the beginning of this year,” said Dr Nangia.
Several states have started imposing new restrictions to stop the spread of Omicron.
DELHI: The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) ordered the district magistrates (DMs) to identify potential Covid-19 superspreader areas ahead of Christmas and New Year. The DDMA issued orders to enforce “No Mask, No Entry” rule at shops and workplaces. The district magistrates and deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) have also been directed to tighten the enforcement machinery to ensure that people follow social-distancing norms and wear masks. “All district magistrates shall conduct an intensive survey of the entire area falling under their jurisdiction and identify those pockets, colonies, markets and crowded places which have the potential of becoming superspreaders of coronavirus and its Omicron variant,” the DDMA said in the order.
MAHARASHTRA: Maharashtra accounts for 54 Omicron cases. The state too has issued prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) from 16-31 December. Only fully vaccinated people are permitted to enter shops or public transport. Commercial premise owners would require permission from their ward officers for a gathering of more than 200 people. Additionally, seating capacity for indoor areas has been restricted to 50%, while it is 25% for outdoor areas.
PUNJAB: The Punjab government has issued a new order under which government employees who fail to provide their Covid-19 vaccination certificate will not be paid their salary. The employees are required to upload the vaccination certificates on the Punjab government’s job portal to get their salaries. Amid rising cases of coronavirus variant Omicron across the country, the Punjab government has resorted to stricter measures to encourage people to get vaccinated.
HARYANA: The Haryana government on Wednesday made the second dose of Covid-19 vaccination mandatory for people to enter malls, restaurants, banks, offices, and other public places starting 1 January. Haryana additional chief secretary (health), Rajeev Arora, in a notification, said that 60% of the state’s population have been administered both doses of Covid-19 vaccine.
KARNATAKA: Karnataka has banned all public gatherings, including ones on Bengaluru’s MG Road and Brigade Road, during New Year’s Eve. “There will not be any public celebration and special events in any part of the state,” Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said. Clubs and restaurants are permitted to have patrons till 50% of their capacity, but no DJs or special New Year’s parties are allowed. All staff are required to be fully vaccinated with a negative RT-PCR test.
GUJARAT: The Gujarat government has extended the night curfew from 1 am-5 am till 31 December. Gyms and restaurants can operate at 75% capacity, while cinema halls can have full occupancy.
WEST BENGAL: According to the latest orders issued by the West Bengal government, the ongoing restrictions on movement from 11 pm-5 am will continue till 15 January, except for Christmas and New Year’s Day.
UTTAR PRADESH: The authorities in UP have invoked Section 144 under CrPC till 31 December.
OTHER STATES: Rajasthan and Telangana have so far reported 18 and 24 positive cases of Omicron, respectively. However, no specific curbs have so far been announced regarding the December-end festive week.
WITH AGENCY INPUTS