Center asks 8 states to ramp up vaccine coverage amid Omicron scare

The Centre wrote to Delhi, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Jharkhand on Thursday, urging them to improve Covid-19 testing, hospital-level readiness, and vaccination coverage. The warning comes as India recorded 13,154 new Covid cases on Thursday, a substantial increase in the previous 24 hours. On Thursday, India’s Omicron count reached 961. The country’s weekly optimism rate is 0.76 percent, which has remained below 1% for the past 46 days. The daily positivity rate is 1.10 percent, which has been below 2% for the past 87 days.

Delhi has the maximum number of 263 Omicron cases followed by Maharashtra at 252, Gujarat 97, Rajasthan 69, Kerala 65 and Telangana 62.

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said the latest variant, which is replacing Delta in other countries, is gradually spreading in the community as people without foreign travel history are getting infected. A yellow alert has been issued in Delhi halving the capacity of public transport, creating a rush among office goers. While serpentine lines are seen in front of metro entrances, a group of people on Thursday blocked the MB road and damaged DTC buses after not being allowed to board it.

Amid the apprehension of the third wave of Covid striking the country in 2022 when several states will go to the elections, chief election commissioner Sushil Chandra on Thursday said political parties in UP want the state election not to be postponed. “Representatives of all political parties met us and told us that elections should be conducted on time following all Covid-19 protocols,” Chandra said at a press conference.