|RW|
After a Maharashtra COVID-19 task force member revealed that 55% of cases in Mumbai and Delhi are Omicron cases, it has been revealed that genome sequencing labs are under tremendous strain. Recently, the Maharashtra Health Department on Thursday said that it has stopped genome sequencing of COVID-19 samples. It also added that 86% of the samples tested in the last genome sequencing were confirmed for the Omicron variant. The statement revealed that the order for fresh a sero survey is expected this week.
The Maharashtra COVID-19 task force member said that the state has recommended surrogate testing by a few labs in a bid to check at lab level if the infection is caused by Omicron. The cost of such a test is Rs 260 and only a limited number of labs have the capacity to conduct the same.
Additionally, Maharashtra Health Department on Thursday said that the state government is not considering imposing a lockdown “as of now”. As fresh COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant continue to increase, the health department stated that the Maharashtra government will consider lockdown or lockdown-like restrictions after medical oxygen demand for the state surges beyond 800 metric tonnes per day or more than 40% of COVID-19 beds in hospitals are occupied. The Maharashtra Health Department further informed that the current surge in Coronavirus infections might witness a peak in mid-February before subsiding by mid-March.
(Except for the headline and the pictorial description, this story has not been edited by THE DEN staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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