Delhi Records 86 Fresh COVID-19 Cases, Highest in Five Months

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Delhi on Saturday, 18 December, logged 86 fresh COVID-19 cases, registering the highest single-day rise in over five months. The capital city, however, recorded zero deaths and a positivity rate of 0.13 percent.

As many as 101 cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 have been detected in 11 states in India so far, including 32 in Maharashtra and 22 in Delhi, the Health Ministry said in a press briefing on Friday, 17 December.

Warning that the number of Omicron cases around the world is increasing rapidly, with the variant having been detected in 91 countries, Joint Secretary to the Health Ministry Lav Agrawal said:

"As per the World Health Organization, Omicron is spreading faster than the Delta variant in South Africa, where Delta circulation was low. It also appears to spread more quickly than Delta in places where the incidence of Delta is high, such as in the United Kingdom."

'Should Not Dismiss Omicron as Mild': WHO

"Based on current limited evidence, Omicron appears to be spreading fast, at a rate not seen with previous variants. Emerging data from South Africa suggest increased risk of reinfection with Omicron," WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said on Friday, reported news agency ANI.

"We should not dismiss Omicron as mild. Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the number of cases could once again overwhelm health systems," the public health expert said.

Dr Singh observed that preliminary data had indicated that vaccines may show reduced effectiveness against the Omicron variant. She added that it would take a few more weeks to fully assess the vaccines' performance.