New Delhi: Here are the latest updates on the new coronavirus variant:
The number of Omicron infections in India rose to 41 after Gujarat reported one new case of the variant on Monday, according to PTI. The patient, a 42-year-man, had returned to Surat from South Africa. He is isolating at home. Maharashtra has detected 20 cases of the variant so far. Besides these two states, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Delhi, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Chandigarh have also confirmed Omicron cases.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that if required, his government will enforce measures to control crowds on Christmas and New Year’s eve in view of the emergence of the Omicron variant, PTI reported. He said that presently, there was no need for such restrictions. “We are in constant touch with experts and if any restriction is to be imposed for the safety of the people of Delhi, we will do that,” Kejriwal added.
The first patient detected with the Omicron variant in Delhi has been discharged from the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan hospital.
Tamil Nadu has banned gatherings on beaches for New Year celebrations, according to PTI. Chief Minister MK Stalin held a meeting with officials on Monday to review the Covid-19 situation in the state.
The Bengaluru police arrested four people for helping a South African national get a fake negative Covid-19 certificate and fly out of India, The Indian Express reported on Tuesday. The man, who arrived in the city on November 20, was supposed to be in quarantine for two weeks. However, he left for South Africa on November 27 after producing a negative certificate. On December 2, he tested positive for the Omicron variant.
Britons lined up outside vaccination centres on Monday after the government urged them to get booster shots of the Covid-19 vaccine, AP reported. The United Kingdom had reported its first death due to the Omicron variant on Monday.
Mainland China reported its first case of Omicron from Tianjin city on Monday, according to The Guardian. The patient, who had returned to China from another country, is being treated at a hospital.
Norway imposed restrictions on bars, restaurants and swimming pools amid a surge in cases, AFP reported. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store cautioned citizens that the Delta and Omicron variants would lead to a “total saturation of the health system”.
In Ireland, the Omicron variant accounts for 11% of new coronavirus cases, Reuters reported, quoting the country’s Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan.
Globally, the coronavirus has infected over 27 crore people and caused more than 53 lakh deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University. Scroll. In
