Omicron scare in Delhi! 10 fresh cases of new Covid-19 variant reported in capital

The total number of Omicron cases in Delhi now stands at 20. On Thursday (December 16), Delhi recorded 85 fresh Covid-19 cases, the highest in over four months.

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New Delhi: Ten new cases of Omicron variant have been reported in Delhi, taking the total number of cases of the variant in the capital to 20. A total of 10 people, out of these 20, have been discharged, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain was quoted as saying by ANI.

On Thursday (December 16), Delhi recorded 85 fresh Covid-19 cases, the highest in over four months, making the positivity rate rise up to 0.15 per cent. 

Meanwhile, India recorded 7,447 new COVID-19 cases, 391 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the overall caseload to 3,47,26,049 and the total death toll to 4,76,869, as per data released by the Ministry of Health on Friday (December 17, 2021). The country also recorded 7,886 recoveries today.  A decline of 830 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The active cases stand at 86,415. The 391 new fatalities include 320 from Kerala and 19 from Maharashtra. Of the 320 deaths in Kerala, 36 were recorded over the last few days and 284 were designated as COVID-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court, a Kerala state government release said on Thursday.

A total of 4,76,869 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,41,317 from Maharashtra, 43,946 from Kerala, 38,279 from Karnataka, 36,656 from Tamil Nadu, 25,100 from Delhi, 22,915 from Uttar Pradesh and 19,645 from West Bengal. The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. "Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

(With PTI inputs)