• Friday, March 29, 2024

Coronavirus

Modi govt to send teams to 10 states showing high Omicron cases

A health worker collects a swab sample from a woman to test for the Covid-19 coronavirus at a primary health centre in Siliguri on May 24, 2021, as India passed more than 300,000 deaths from coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by DIPTENDU DUTTA/AFP via Getty Images)

By: Shubham Ghosh

THE Indian health ministry on Saturday (25) said it will deploy multi-disciplinary teams to 10 states of the country that have reported high numbers of Omicron infections and have less rate of vaccination.

The states are Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Mizoram, The Indian Express reported.

The number of Omicron cases in India have gone up to 415 in the last 24 hours. Of the states, Maharashtra has seen the highest number of the new variant cases at 108 while Delhi is at second with 79. Gujarat (43), Telangana (38), Kerala (37) and Tamil Nadu (34) follow next.

In terms of total coronavirus cases, India recorded 7,189 new infections and 387 deaths in the 24 hours ending Saturday.

On Friday (24), the health ministry said the world was witnessing the fourth surge in Covid-19 cases and requested people to not turn complacent.

It warned that the new variant has a higher threat of transmission within households as compared to the Delta variant. It was also said that at least nine of 10 people getting infected by Omicron variant are fully vaccinated, an analysis of 183 cases in India by the central government showed.

The Narendra Modi government said vaccines alone are not sufficient and emphasised on the use of masks and surveillance to break the transmission chain.

States like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have announced imposition of night curfews between 11 pm and 5 am as a precautionary measure amid the rising number of Omicron cases. The curfews come into effect from Saturday night. Besides, both the states have put a cap on crowds at public gatherings and wedding functions at 200.

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