Omicron cases in India touched the mark of 100, Govt says to avoid non-essential gathering and mass gathering

India's Omicron COVID count crossed the 100 mark on Friday after recording the highest single day rise of 24 fresh cases of the new variant, even as the Centre advised people to avoid non-essential travel and mass gatherings and keep New Year celebrations at low intensity.

A total of 11 states and union territories have registered 111 cases of Omicron in the past 15 days. Karnataka was the first state in the country to detect the Omicron variant on December 2. Since then, several states and national capital Delhi have continued to see a gradual rise in the Omicron case tally. As per the Central government's data, Maharashtra has reported 40 cases, Delhi (22), Rajasthan (17), Karnataka (8), Telangana (8), Gujarat (5), Kerala (7), Andhra Pradesh (1), Chandigarh (1), Tamil Nadu (1) and West Bengal (1). The government said that it is likely that Omicron spread will outpace Delta variant where community transmission occurs.

Here's all you need to know about Omicron cases in India with state-wise data:

DELHI

The national capital Delhi has reported a total of 22 cases of Omicron variant as of Friday, December 17. On Friday alone, 12 people tested positive for the new Covid-19 variant. According to the health officials, most of the infected patients were 'fully-vaccinated' and 'asymptomatic'. Of the total 22 Omicron patients in Delhi, 10 have been discharged.

MAHARASHTRA

Currently, Maharashtra has reported the most number of cases of Omicron variant of Covid-19 in India. The state's Omicron case tally has surged to 40 after eight patients tested positive for the new variant on December 17. Out of these, six patients are from Pune, one patient is from Mumbai and one patient is from Kalyan-Dombivali (in adjoining Thane district).

In the state's capital Mumbai, a 29-year-old man who had returned from New York tested positive for the Omicron variant yesterday. The Mumbai's civic body informed that the man, who has no symptoms, had taken three doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine. He tested positive for Covid-19 in a test conducted at the airport on November 9, after which his samples were sent for genome sequencing.

Of the 40 Omicron patients detected in the state so far, 25 have been discharged after a negative RT-PCR test.

So far, Mumbai's Omicron caseload has increased to 15, but 13 of these patients have already been discharged from hospitals. None of the 15 Omicron patients found in the city so far has reported severe symptoms.

GUJARAT

Gujarat Omicron cases have reached 7 after an elderly couple (75-year-old man and his 67-year-old wife) who came from Zambia was found infected with the mutant virus. Of the total seven patients, three have been discharged from the hospital, according to Gujarat's health department. Notably, Omicron has been found in the couple even though Zambia is a "non-high-risk" country. The couple came to Gujarat on December 7 and on December 12, they were tested positive for coronavirus. Subsequently, their samples were sent for genome sequencing to check if they have been infected from Omicron or not.

KERALA

Kerala logged two fresh cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, taking the overall tally to seven. Omicron has been detected in three people in the state who came from non-high-risk countries.

TELANGANA

The state reported two new cases of the Omicron virus yesterday, taking the overall tally to eight. All eight cases were those of passengers who arrived from abroad.

TAMIL NADU

As many as 28 people who arrived from both 'high-risk' and 'non-risk' countries till date has tested Covid-19 positive in Tamil Nadu along with S-gene drop, raising the suspicion of being infected by Omicron variant. Otherwise, the state has reported only one fully-confirmed case of Omicron on Wednesday.

KARNATAKA

The state has recorded a total of eight Omicron cases so far. Of which five of them were tested positive on Thursday. According to Health Minister K Sudhakar, all five were fully vaccinated with two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

WEST BENGAL

West Bengal's first Omicron patient, a 7-year-old boy, gave been discharged from the hospital.

RAJASTHAN

The state has reported a total of 17 cases of Omicron variant, so far. Of the 17, nine people have been discharged from a government hospital after they tested negative twice.

CHANDIGARH AND ANDHRA PRADESH

Chandigarh and Andhra Pradesh have reported two Omicron cases each. A 20-year-old boy, who came to India from Italy to meet his relatives in Chandigarh, tested positive on 1 December. On the other hand, a 34-year-old foreign traveller who came from Ireland was tested positive for the Omicron variant in Hyderabad.