NEW DELHI: The Union Health Ministry on Friday said that the country has crossed the 100-mark in Omicron cases of the new COVID variant which is recently hit the nation. There are 101 Omicron cases of the new virus strain across 11 states in the country, the ministry said. Earlier today, 10 new cases of the variant Omicron were detected in Delhi and two more in Telangana.

Lav Agrawal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry said in a press conference informed that Omicron variant has been reported in 91 countries in the world. Citing World Health Organisation (WHO), he added, "WHO has said that Omicron is spreading faster than the Delta variant in South Africa where Delta circulation was low. The UN agency also added that it's likely that the variant will outpace Delta variant where community transmission occurs. "Warning of the rise in Omicron cases in the country, Director-General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr Balram Bhargava instructed that this is the time to avoid non-essential travel, mass gatherings and it is very important to observe low-intensity festivities.

101 #Omicron cases have been detected in 11 states so far in the country including 32 in Maharashtra and 22 in Delhi

- @MoHFW_INDIA #IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/J08Xl2jp3s
— PIB India (@PIB_India) December 17, 2021

HYDERABAD: Two more Omicron cases have been reported in Telangana, taking the total number of cases of the new coronavirus variant to nine, a health official said on Friday. The nine include a boy from West Bengal who flew to Kolkata in transit from Hyderabad and one more case from Hanumakonda at Warangal. A female passenger had come from UK and landed at Hyderabad where she was tested negative first at the Airport and later positive after eight days of quarantine. Genome sequencing of samples collected from her revealed her to be positive for Omicron,
All the eight cases in the state were passengers who arrived from abroad, state Director of Public Health G Srinivasa Rao said neither community transmission nor locals testing positive for Omicron occurred in Telangana so far.

Also Read: Is Omicron Dangerous?