New Delhi, Dec 31 : Omicron has started replacing Delta variant in the country in terms of the number of COVID-19 cases and 80 per cent of international travellers who tested positive have this new variant, official sources said on Friday.
However, a third of all the detected cases were mildly symptomatic, and the rest were asymptomatic, they said.
A total of 1,270 Omicron cases have been detected across 23 states and UTs so far, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Friday.
Noting a considerable decline in Covid testing, the Centre had on Thursday urged 19 states/UTs to ramp up testing “in a big way” to identify the positive cases promptly and restrict the spread of transmission in view of the increased transmissibility of Omicron variant, and the larger preponderance of asymptomatic cases.
Since, the first two cases of Omicron variant were announced in the country on December 2, the health ministry has been working in a mission mode and constantly guiding states on the measures to be undertaken to contain the spread of the infection.
‘Omicron has started replacing Delta variant in India’
