Six more Omicron cases in Delhi, total 28: Report

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Six more cases of the Omicron variant of Covid have been detected in Delhi, taking the total number of people testing positive for the latest variant of the coronavirus to 28, sources told news agency PTI on Monday.

At least 12 patients have been discharged, they said.

Amid the Omicron scare and the growing number of coronavirus cases in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday afternoon said all samples that test positive for the infection will now be sent for genome sequencing.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) in which the Omicron situation, including its possible effects and steps to deal with it, was discussed, according to the chief minister.

Earlier in the day, a source said, "Two more cases of Omicron have been detected in Delhi. Their samples sent for genome sequencing earlier have come out positive. One has come from the UK, while the other from Ghana, aged 47 and 22 respectively."

The tally has grown to 24, and 12 patients have been discharged, they had said in the afternoon.

These two patients are admitted to the LNJP Hospital, the sources said, adding, most of the patients are asymptomatic.

Later in the evening, another source said four more cases of the Omicron variant of Covid have been detected here, taking the tally further to 28.

Meanwhile, soon after the chief minister's press briefing, the authorities at two genome sequencing laboratories in Delhi said they have the capacity to handle a higher number of samples for detection of the Omicron variant.

On Monday, 93 fresh COVID-19 cases were logged in the city with a positivity rate of 0.20 per cent, as per the latest health bulletin.

The national capital had recorded 85 cases on Thursday with a positivity rate of 0.15 per cent. On Sunday, it jumped to 107, the highest single-day rise since June 27, while one death was also recorded, and the positivity rate stood at 0.17 per cent, according to official data.

Two laboratories, one each at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) and the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital, run under the Delhi government have the genome sequencing facility available.

"We have a capacity to handle 1,000 samples per week. Though the daily cases have increased in the last couple of days, only about the capacity of 500 samples per week is being used. So, at present, we have sufficient capacity, and as per the need, we will double it," a source told PTI.

Delhi's first case of the Omicron variant -- a 37-year-old man from Ranchi -- was detected on December 5. He has been discharged.

Amid a jump in cases of Omicron reported in Delhi, doctors have warned that people should avoid all kinds of gatherings as this is a highly transmissible variant, and follow Covid-appropriate behaviours, else the situation may worsen.