The new variant of coronavirus (COVID-19), Omicron, has spread a scare and raised concerns across the world. Over the last few days, several cases have been reported in India, and officials in Maharashtra have noted Omicron cases in the last three consecutive days.
With an aim to take necessary measures immediately, the state government, on Tuesday, December 7, 2021, decided to discuss matters regarding the same in a meeting scheduled on Wednesday, December 8, 2021. As per reports, no cases have been reported on Tuesday, however, the state now has a total of 10 cases of this new 'variant of concern' and these have been identified in Mumbai, Pune and Dombivali.
Officials stated that the authorities at the cabinet were expected to discuss matters which will have to be taken during the emergency increase any more Omicron cases are reported in the state. However, Maharashtra's Health Minister Rajesh Tope, earlier had informed that the government does not plan to impose any restrictions at the moment. Quoting the minister, Hindustan Times reported, “No restrictions are likely to be imposed immediately. We are watching the situation very closely and the decision about re-imposing the restrictions will be taken by consulting with the central government and task force members.”
The state has also permitted schools to reopen and consider making the necessary plans for the same. On the other hand, several programs are being implemented across the districts to increase the COVID vaccination percentage. Officials have noted that the citizens have been skipping the second dose of COVID vaccine and this negligence has raised concerns as it could affect their health, eventually leading to the spread of COVID-19.
A total of 699 new cases were reported in the state taking the tally to over 66.39 lakh with more than 141,000 deaths. Meanwhile, state capital Mumbai reported a total of 189 new cases taking the count to more than 7.64 lakh and over 16,000 deaths. Data released by the health department shows that the daily positivity rate of the state currently stands at 0.70 per cent.
Two more cases of Omicron were reported in the state on Monday, December 6, 2021. The first case with Omicron variant was identified in Thane's Dombivali area while others have been reported from Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Mumbai. In terms of the current active cases, Mumbai has the most number of COVID positive patients, followed by Pune, Thane and Ahmednagar.
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