Omicron cases cross 1,000 mark in India; Maharashtra tops tally

Omicron cases in India have crossed the 1,000 mark to settle at 1,270 on the back of Maharashtra reporting the highest number of cases across the country. Maharashtra has topped this tally with 450 cases, followed by Delhi (320), Kerala (109), Gujarat (97) and Rajasthan (69).

Maharashtra reported 198 new Omicron cases including 190 in Mumbai alone, taking the total number of cases in the state to 450. Of the 198 Omicron cases reported by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) during the day, only 30 have international travel history.

Haryana and Odisha have reported 14 Omicron cases each whereas West Bengal has reported 11 cases of the strain. States like Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Manipur and Punjab have also reported their first Omicron cases, as per Health Ministry data.

While Omicron continues to loom large, India has reported 16,764 new coronavirus cases, 7,585 recoveries and 220 deaths in the last 24 hours. While the active caseload currently stands at 91,361, the national COVID-19 recovery rate currently stands at 98.36 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police has prohibited New Year celebrations and gatherings in any closed or open spaces like bars, banquet halls, clubs, halls, hotels, restaurants, resorts, pubs, orchestras and rooftops. Maharashtra government has also imposed section 144 of the CrPC till January 7, 2022.

The West Bengal government has decided to impose flight curbs in the wake of rising cases. “In view of the rising number of Omicron cases globally and as well as within the country, the state government has decided to temporarily and until further orders suspend all direct flights from United Kingdom to Kolkata from January 3, 2022,” West Bengal Home Secretary BP Gopalika wrote in a letter to the Civil Aviation Ministry.

He further wrote, “Flights, which is an at-risk country as notified by MoHFW, Government of India, will not be allowed in the state and any NOCs which have been issued stand withdrawn.”

(With agency inputs)

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