Time to avoid unnecessary travel and mass gatherings, says Health Ministry

The count of Covid contaminations brought about by the Omicron variation has crossed 100 in the country, the Union Health Ministry said in a press instructions on December 17.

India has up until this point recorded 101 Omicron cases, across 11 states, said Lav Agrawal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry. The largest number of contaminations up until this point, 32, have been identified in Maharashtra, trailed by 22 cases in Delhi, 17 in Rajasthan, eight each in Telangana and Karnataka and five each in Kerala and Gujarat.

"Omicron variation has been accounted for in 91 nations on the planet. WHO has said that Omicron is spreading quicker than the Delta variation in South Africa where Delta course was low," Agrawal added.

The Health Ministry encouraged individuals to superfluous travel, mass social occasions and notice low-force merriments in front of New Year taking into account the arising hazards because of the Omicron variation.
"This is an ideal opportunity to keep away from insignificant travel, mass social affairs and it is vital to notice low-power merriments," Dr Balram Bhargava, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said.

The states need to act proactively to forestall an ascent in inspiration rate, and the residents need to act "mindfully", Center's COVID-19 Task Force boss Dr VK Paul added.

Alluding to the record spike in cases in the United Kingdom, Dr Paul proposed that a comparable spread in India could end up being unfortunate.

"Another period of the COVID-19 pandemic is being knowledgeable about Europe with a lofty ascent in cases...If we do a populace level change, the 80,000 cases in UK would be 14 lakh in India," he said.

While noticing that the circumstance is presently "stable" in India, Dr Paul focused on that "we really want to embrace significant alert".

The state government should consider expanding limitations in regions where the inspiration rate starts showing a vertical pattern, he noted.

"Inspiration rates expanding in certain spaces. If necessary, limitations ought to be carried out here. States and locale should put forth attempts to be extra cautious in groups," Dr Paul said.
In the midst of anxieties about whether the authority count of Omicron variation is illustrative of the genuine spread, the authorities said genome sequencing is unimaginable in all cases.
"Genome sequencing of each example is absurd. It is a reconnaissance and pandemic evaluation and following device, not an analytic instrument at this point. We can guarantee adequate orderly inspecting is being embraced, added Dr Paul, who is additionally the part (soundness) of government's highest research organization Niti Aayog.

Remarkably, the Omicron variation was first distinguished in South Africa on November 23 and was accounted for to be exceptionally contagious. Accordingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) ordered it as a 'variation of worry' on November 26.

Presently, various nations started supporting promoter shots of COVID-19 antibodies. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) barely upheld the crisis utilization of Merck's first-of-a-sort COVID pill. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) on December 16 said Pfizer's COVID pill can be utilized to treat grown-ups who are at expanded danger of advancing to serious sickness.