The new Covid-19 variant, 'Omicron' has created panic around the world. The Omicron cases in India are also rising steadily. On Sunday, India's Omicron tally reached 21 as nine new cases were found in Rajasthan's Jaipur. The increasing number of Omicron cases has caused a worry among the masses as well as the government.
As the number of cases soared on Monday, we look at what do we know so far about the new Covid variant so far.
Key Highlights:
- World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Omicron as a 'Variant of Concern'.
- India reported 17 more cases of the Omicron variant on Sunday taking the tally to 21 in the country.
- Nine persons were found positive in Rajasthan's capital Jaipur, seven in Maharashtra's Pune district, and a fully vaccinated man who arrived in Delhi from Tanzania on Sunday.
- Most of those who tested positive either recently arrived from African countries or were in contact with such people who came from African countries.
- The first patient to test positive for Omicron in Delhi is a 37-year-old resident of Ranchi who had travelled from Tanzania to Doha and from there to Delhi.
- The government has intensified the preventive measures in all the international airports.
- President Joe Biden’s Chief Medical Advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told CNN’s “State of the Union” on December 5 that scientists need more information before drawing conclusion’s about Omicron’s severity, reported PTI.
- Union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya has reviewed RT-PCR testing facilities for passengers coming from at-risk countries at the IGI airport, New Delhi.
- As per clinical observations, the Omicron variant of Covid-19 may be more transmissible and have a higher risk of reinfection compared to the Delta and Beta variants of the virus, said Singapore's Ministry of Health.