Less Than 3 Weeks After It Was First Reported, India's Omicron Tally Crosses 350

Amid the fear of the third wave of COVID-19 in India, the number of new infections driven by the Omicron variant is rising rapidly.

As of Friday morning, India's Omicron tally stood at 358, out of which 122 were added in the past 24 hours, the highest single-day spike in the country so far.

The 358 Omicron Covid variant cases have been detected across 17 states and union territories so far, data from the Health Ministry showed.

AP

Maharashtra highest

Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of 88 cases of the Omicron variant, followed by Delhi with 67, Telangana 38, Tamil Nadu 34, Karnataka 31, and Gujarat 30.

Out of the 358 Omicron cases, 114 have already recovered or migrated.

None of the confirmed patients have shown serious symptoms or health complications so far.

Most of the Omicron cases identified in India so far have either travel history or were immediate contacts of those who had returned from abroad and later tested positive.

BCCL

So far only two cases of local transmission of Omicron have been reported in India.

In the first case, which was also the only second detected Omicron infection in India, an anesthesiologist at the government hospital in South Bengaluru, with no travel or contact history had tested positive for the new strain. To date, the source of his infection has not been identified.

The second case of local transmission was an oncologist from Telangana who tested positive for Omicron earlier this week.

According to reports, the doctor was infected by a patient, who had come to Hyderabad from a not 'at-risk' country, who later tested positive for Omicron.

AP

Peak likely in February-March

According to current projections, the third wave of COVID-19 in India, driven by the Omicron variant is likely to peak in the months of February and March.

Some projections even have said that if Omicron spreads in India like how infections are now rising in the UK, the country may report as much as 14 lakhs cases in a day.

With Uttar Pradesh scheduled to go to the polls around the same time, the Allahabad High Court on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Election Commission to suspend political rallies and election campaigns in poll-bound states.

The judges said, if possible, the elections be postponed by a couple of months.

AP

"The court requests the honourable prime minister that looking at the situation of this frightening pandemic, to take strong steps and stop rallies, gatherings and cancel or postpone (the) upcoming election," the judges said.

"Because only if there is life, we have our world," the judges stated.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.