India detects seven more cases of Omicron, 12 in all

MUMBAI, December 5 (Reuters) – India’s tally of reported cases of the highly mutated Omicron variant of the coronavirus rose to 12 on Sunday after the state of Maharashtra said it detected seven new cases.

Local media also said that a new case had been reported in New Delhi.

India expects the Omicron, which scientists believe appears to be the most contagious variant to date, to be less damaging than the currently dominant delta, which caused a devastating wave of infections in March. and April.

More than 70% of the population is thought to have been infected with previous variants, which, along with vaccinations, is likely to have increased levels of immunity.

The Federal Ministry of Health said 50% of India’s adult population of 950 million is now fully vaccinated.

India has so far recorded more than 470,000 deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic, and some experts say many COVID-19-related deaths go unreported. Read more

The state of Bihar in the east of the country added 2,426 unreported deaths from COVID-19 to its total on Sunday, while the state of Kerala in the south of the country added 263, said a spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Health.

Reporting by Shilpa Jamkhandikar in Mumbai; Editing by Kevin Liffey

Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.