Be prepared for any eventuality on Omicron rise: Guleria

New Delhi: Amid growing concerns over the possibility of a third wave driven by the new Omicron variant of coronavirus, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria has alerted the authorities saying that they should be prepared for any eventuality.

“We should prepare and hope that things should not be as bad as in the United Kingdom. We need more data. Whenever there is a surge in cases in other parts of the world, we need to monitor it closely and be prepared for any eventuality,” ANI quoted Dr Guleria as saying on Sunday.

The UK has reported another 12,133 Omicron cases in the last 24 hours, the biggest daily increase since the new COVID-19 variant has been detected in the country. With this, the total number of Omicron cases found in the country has reached 37,101, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.

Meanwhile, India’s count of Omicron cases has surged to 153 after Maharashtra reported six and Gujarat logged four more cases of the new mutant variant yesterday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

Omicron detected in 11 states/UTs

According to central and state officials, omicron cases have been detected in 11 states and union territories in the country so far. Maharashtra is worst-affected by the Omicron surge as it’s leading the tally with 54 cases, followed by Delhi’s 22.

The other states/UTs which have reported the Omicron cases are Rajasthan (17) and Karnataka (14), Telangana (20), Gujarat (11), Kerala (11), Andhra Pradesh (1), Chandigarh (1), Tamil Nadu (1) and West Bengal (1).