Omicron detected in 54 pc of new Covid cases spreading in community in Delhi Jain
New Delhi Dec 30 PTI Omicron is gradually spreading in the community and the new fast-spreading variant of concern has been found in 54 per cent of the latest samples analysed in Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on ThursdayHe said stringent curbs have been put in place as part of the Graded Response Action Plan GRAP to check the spread of COVID-19 and the Delhi Disaster Management Authority DDMA will decide on implementing more restrictionsHowever a statement from Jains office said According to GRAP a Yellow alert has been issued in Delhi For the time being the government has decided not to issue a Level 2 alert Alerts will be issued according to GRAP in Delhi It also said 54 per cent of the new cases in the capital have tested positive for the Omicron variantEarlier in the day Jain had said The latest genome sequencing report showed 46 per cent of the cases have Omicron These people include those who do not have any travel history It means Omicron is now inside Delhi An official said the data was updated in the eveningIndeed the variant is gradually spreading in the community and its proportion will increase in the coming days Jain said when asked if Omicron will be the dominant variant in an imminent third wave of the pandemicHe also said of the 200 coronavirus cases in Delhi hospitals only 102 belong to the city Also 115 patients are those who were directly taken to hospitals from the airportOf the hospitalised Covid patients in Delhi 115 do not have any symptoms and have been kept in hospitals as a precautionary measure None of the hospitalised patients is on oxygen support Jain saidThe statement from the ministers office said the Delhi government has decided to open four step-down Covid care centres at Teerapath Bhawan Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre Commonwealth Games Village and IBIS HotelA step-down Covid Care Centre is used when a hospitalised patients health improves and he or she does not require medical attention at a hospitalThe patient is then sent to the step-down Covid Care Centre where he or she is looked after by healthcare workers Each Covid Care Centre can cater to 100 to 500 patientsThe Delhi government has also issued instructions to all its hospitals to keep a buffer stock of medicines for three months Jain saidThe Delhi health minister had on Wednesday said many international travellers who tested Covid-negative at the airport were found to be positive for the disease after a few days During this period they were infecting their family membersDelhi has imposed stringent curbs on gatherings including weddings and funerals schools gyms and spas have been closed shops and malls will open on alternate days and metro trains and buses will operate at 50 per cent capacity It is better to be precautious Jain said adding a decision on more restrictions will be taken at a DDMA meetingHe said countries like the US and France have recorded their highest number of daily cases amid the spread of Omicron but the good news is that it does not cause severe infection and very few patients need hospitalisationThe DDMA had on Wednesday decided that Covid-related restrictions imposed in Delhi under the yellow alert would continue for the time being and authorities would monitor the situation for a while before deciding on fresh curbsOn Tuesday it had declared a yellow alert under the GRAP in the city amid a spike in coronavirus cases following the emergence of the Omicron variantThe yellow alert entails restrictions like night curfew closure of schools and colleges opening of shops selling non-essential items on an odd-even basis and halved seating capacity in Metro trains and buses among other thingsThe GRAP is based on positivity rate on two consecutive days cumulative number of new cases over a week and average oxygenated-bed occupancy for a week for designated four levels of alertsAfter the yellow alert further restrictions are imposed at advanced stages of amber orange and red with a higher number of new cases and hospitalisationsAccording to official figures out of the 8965 dedicated Covid beds 262 or 292 per cent were occupied and 97 per cent were vacant on December 28 PTI GVS DIV DIV
New Delhi Dec 30 PTI Omicron is gradually spreading in the community and the new fast-spreading variant of concern has been found in 54 per cent of the latest samples analysed in Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on ThursdayHe said stringent curbs have been put in place as part of the Graded Response Action Plan GRAP to check the spread of COVID-19 and the Delhi Disaster Management Authority DDMA will decide on implementing more restrictionsHowever a statement from Jains office said According to GRAP a Yellow alert has been issued in Delhi For the time being the government has decided not to issue a Level 2 alert Alerts will be issued according to GRAP in Delhi It also said 54 per cent of the new cases in the capital have tested positive for the Omicron variantEarlier in the day Jain had said The latest genome sequencing report showed 46 per cent of the cases have Omicron These people include those who do not have any travel history It means Omicron is now inside Delhi An official said the data was updated in the eveningIndeed the variant is gradually spreading in the community and its proportion will increase in the coming days Jain said when asked if Omicron will be the dominant variant in an imminent third wave of the pandemicHe also said of the 200 coronavirus cases in Delhi hospitals only 102 belong to the city Also 115 patients are those who were directly taken to hospitals from the airportOf the hospitalised Covid patients in Delhi 115 do not have any symptoms and have been kept in hospitals as a precautionary measure None of the hospitalised patients is on oxygen support Jain saidThe statement from the ministers office said the Delhi government has decided to open four step-down Covid care centres at Teerapath Bhawan Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre Commonwealth Games Village and IBIS HotelA step-down Covid Care Centre is used when a hospitalised patients health improves and he or she does not require medical attention at a hospitalThe patient is then sent to the step-down Covid Care Centre where he or she is looked after by healthcare workers Each Covid Care Centre can cater to 100 to 500 patientsThe Delhi government has also issued instructions to all its hospitals to keep a buffer stock of medicines for three months Jain saidThe Delhi health minister had on Wednesday said many international travellers who tested Covid-negative at the airport were found to be positive for the disease after a few days During this period they were infecting their family membersDelhi has imposed stringent curbs on gatherings including weddings and funerals schools gyms and spas have been closed shops and malls will open on alternate days and metro trains and buses will operate at 50 per cent capacity It is better to be precautious Jain said adding a decision on more restrictions will be taken at a DDMA meetingHe said countries like the US and France have recorded their highest number of daily cases amid the spread of Omicron but the good news is that it does not cause severe infection and very few patients need hospitalisationThe DDMA had on Wednesday decided that Covid-related restrictions imposed in Delhi under the yellow alert would continue for the time being and authorities would monitor the situation for a while before deciding on fresh curbsOn Tuesday it had declared a yellow alert under the GRAP in the city amid a spike in coronavirus cases following the emergence of the Omicron variantThe yellow alert entails restrictions like night curfew closure of schools and colleges opening of shops selling non-essential items on an odd-even basis and halved seating capacity in Metro trains and buses among other thingsThe GRAP is based on positivity rate on two consecutive days cumulative number of new cases over a week and average oxygenated-bed occupancy for a week for designated four levels of alertsAfter the yellow alert further restrictions are imposed at advanced stages of amber orange and red with a higher number of new cases and hospitalisationsAccording to official figures out of the 8965 dedicated Covid beds 262 or 292 per cent were occupied and 97 per cent were vacant on December 28 PTI GVS DIV DIV
