The Union Health Ministry informed today, on December 21, that the total number of cases of infection from the Omicron variant of COVID19 is 200 so far. Maharashtra and Delhi have reported more than half of the total Omicron cases with both the states reporting 54 Omicron cases each.

In the wake of the rising Omicron cases in the national capital, Delhi government yesterday announced that it will conduct a genome test of all  COVID19 cases. Earlier, only samples of travellers from abroad were being sent for genome sequencing.

The statewise data shows that Telangana has 20 cases of the Omicron variant followed by Karnataka (19), Rajasthan (18), Kerala (15), Gujarat (14), and Uttar Pradesh (2) while Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal have reported one case each.

Reacting to the rise in the number of Omicron cases in India, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that most of these cases are asymptomatic.

“So far, thirteen per cent cases are mild and eighty per cent are asymptomatic,” said Mandaviya in the ongoing Winter Session of Rajya Sabha yesterday when the Omicron cases in India were 161.

The Union Health Minister assured that there was an adequate capacity in terms of labs to test and track the new variant.

Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), on December 6 had warned of a ‘massive third wave’ of COVID19 due to the surge of Omicron cases.

“Omicron, a variant of concern, has spread in forty countries. It is of greatest concern. Transmissibility — spreading from one person to another — is very high with the Omicron virus. If we are not taking adequate measures, then the third wave and its disasters are going to be very high,” said JA Jayalal, the national president of the association, as he addressed a press conference yesterday on December 6.

Also Read: The Indian Medical Association warns of ‘massive’ third wave amid Omicron threat

Also, a new research shows that the Omicron variant is 70 times more infectious than the Delta variant which wreaked havoc during the second wave of coronavirus in India.

Also Read: COVID19’s Omicron variant infects 70 times faster than the Delta: Study

Meanwhile, Mandaviya also highlighted that the country’s vaccine manufacturing capacity will be increased from 310 million doses a month at present to 450 million doses per month in the next two months.

At least 88 per cent of the eligible population in India has been inoculated with the first dose of COVID19 vaccine and 58 per cent of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated with both doses of the vaccine.