(TibetanReview.net, Dec24’21) – Amid surging fears from the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, which was reported to make up more than 73% of the cases in the USA a couple of days ago, a total of 7 Tibetans in India and Nepal have tested positive for the Covid-19 infection in the last one week as of Dec 24. These were detected from 386 tests (a positivity rate of 1.81%), according to the Central Tibetan Administration’s Taskforce at its 91st weekly briefing Dec 24.
The cumulative total of Covid-19 infections among Tibetans in India and Nepal now totals 6,976. Of them, 6,800 have recovered while 14 are active. Those who have died total 162, with 74% of them being over 60 years old.
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The good news about the Omicron variant is that people catching it are 50% to 70% less likely to need hospital care compared with previous variants, bbc.com Dec 24 cited a UK Health Security Agency analysis as saying. They confirmed data from South Africa, Denmark, England and Scotland which all pointed to reduced severity, the report said.
The bad news is that, because of its high level of infectiousness, the variant could still lead to large numbers of people in hospital, the Agency has said.
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Meanwhile India recorded 122 cases of the Omicron variant in a span of 24 hours, the highest so far, pushing its tally to 358 from across 17 states and union territories, including 114 who have recovered or migrated, reported the PTI news agency Dec 24, citing the country’s Health Ministry data updated this morning.
Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of 88 cases of the Omicron variant, followed by Delhi with 67, Telangana 38, Tamil Nadu 34, Karnataka 31 and Gujarat 30, the report said.
India’s new Covid-19 cases detected over the last 24 hours as of this morning was 6,650, taking its cumulative tally to 3,47,72,626, with the count of active cases declining to 77,516.
The death toll has climbed to 4,79,133, including 374 during the last 24 hours.
Capital Delhi reported 125 daily new cases yesterday morning, the highest in the last six months, and the daily new cases reported this morning was only marginally lower at 118.
Himachal Pradesh reported 34 new Covid cases this morning – 14 in Kangra, six in Solan, five in Hamirpur, three in Una and two each in Bilaspur, Shimla and Mandi, reported the tribuneindia.com Dec 24.
