Delhi: '81% cases sequenced are of Omicron', Health Minister Jain says amid rising cases

With the COVID curve rising sharply in the national capital, the case positivity rate has reached above 6% in Delhi. Amid the rising surge, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday stated that around 81% of daily cases sequenced in the region are of the ‘highly transmissible’ Omicron variant. 

As per the health minister, out of the 187 samples sequenced in three Delhi laboratories during the last two days, 152 were determined to be of the Omicron variant.

81% samples sequenced in Delhi are of Omicron Variant: Delhi Health Minister

While the statement made by the health minister was contrary to the data provided by the Centre, Health Ministry in its daily briefing said that ‘no Omicron variant’ was detected in Delhi in the last two days. On being asked about the same, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that the discrepancy could be due to a technical snag, and it shall be updated in the next bulletin. 

Jain further informed that the tests were conducted in the three Delhi labs; which are the Lok Nayak hospital, the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, and the National Centre for Disease Control.

Currently, Delhi has 351 Omicron cases. Satyendar Jain's statement demonstrates that Omicron has surpassed the Delta variant as the dominant variant in the capital. The new variant, according to the minister, was circulating around the community last week.

He further lashed out at the Centre for not halting international flights in time, despite repeated requests made by the Delhi government. He added that the surge in the cases is due to the Centre’s laxity in halting international flights.

Besides, the Delhi health minister said that there is no need to panic, as the hospitalisation and occupancy of beds are low in the national capital. Jain said, ''Going by the experience of the foreign countries, the cases of Omicron lead to a sharp increase and similarly decline quickly.'' The minister hoped that a similar trend will be observed in India. 

Delhi's COVID-19 curve rises exponentially

Delhi registered 4,099 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the positivity rate in the national capital to 6.46 per cent. The number of active cases in the national capital has risen to 10,986, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases to 14,58,220. As per the health bulletin, 6,288 COVID-19 patients and those suspected of being positive are being held in home isolation.

In the last 24 hours, another COVID-related fatality has occurred in Delhi, bringing the total death toll to 25,100. Meanwhile, in the last 24 hours, 1,509 persons have recovered from the virus. Currently, Delhi has 351 Omicron cases, as per Health Ministry.

Image: Unsplash, PTI