Ninety-seven percent of the sampl𓂃es taken from those who died of Covid in Delhi from January to March had the Omicron variant of coronavirus, according to government data.
Genome sequencing of 578 samples collected from the deceased showeᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚd 560 of them had the Omicron variant.
The remaining 18 (three perce🦋nt) had other variants of COVID-19, including Delta, which fuelled the ferocious second wave of infections in🐻 April and May last year, and sub lineages.
Overall, the Omicron variant was found in all the 504 samples analysed at genome sequencing 🐼laboratories in the cap🐻ital in March.
The third wave of infections driven by theꦰ Omicron variant saw lesser hospitalisations and severe cases in the national capital and government data showed the virus isn't the primary reason in most fatalities.
A maximum of 2,784 (17.96 percent) of the 15,505 COVID-19 beds in hospitals w😼ere occupied on January 17. During the second wave, 20,117 (92 per cent) of t൩he 21,839 beds were occupied on May 6.
Delhi is once again seeing a spurt in the numbꦫer of infections, with experts attributing it to a large number of people not following Covid-appropriate behaviour, including the mask mandate.
In view of 𝔉the spike in cases, the Delhi government on Wednesday made wearing of masks mandatory in public places and imposed a fine of Rs 500 on violators.
Officials said the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, in its meeting, also decided not to shut schools, but chose to come up with a separate Standard Operating Procedure in consultation with expert൲s.
Delhi has also started genome sequencing of samples of all Covid infected people in the capital to ascert🅷ain if a new variant, such as the XE variant, has spreaꦗd in the city.
