Delhi reports 73 new Omicron cases, overtakes Maharashtra as highest contributor to nationwide tally

The Indian Express had reported that 52 of the 63 cases added to the omicron tally on Monday did not have a history of international travel or a history of coming in contact with someone who travelled abroad recently.

The new variant of coronavirus is causing a surge in Covid-19 cases globally, as more than 30 mutations in the spike protein make it more capable of evading existing immunity.

Delhi reported 496 new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, as per the government’s health bulletin. It was the highest number of cases in the city since June 4 when the city had reported 523 cases.

The number of active cases has shot past 1,500-mark just two days after it crossed 1,000, showing that the infection is spreading rapidly in the city. Another marker, the test positivity rate (TPR) has shot up to 0.89% after remaining steady for over five months.

Of the total active cases, 280 were in the hospital as of Monday midnight as reported in Tuesday’s health bulletin. By Wednesday morning, this has increased to 299, with all but six of the patients being admitted to oxygen beds, according to the government’s Delhi Corona app.

Hospitals treating those with Omicron variant – Lok Nayak and four private hospitals – have said that almost all of the patients had mild symptoms like sore throat, fever, and body ache, but did not need any supplemental oxygen.