422 Omicron Cases In India, Most In Maharashtra, Followed By Delhi

Maharashtra - which also has reported the most number of coronavirus cases - has 108 cases of the new variant. Forty-two people have recovered in the state so far, according to the Health Ministry. The western state is followed by Delhi, which has 79 cases (of which 23 have recovered). Gujarat has 43 cases and 10 people have recovered so far.

In the south, Telangana has reported 41 cases (and 10 recovered patients) of the new variant while Kerala and neighbouring Tamil Nadu have 38 (one recovered patient) and 34 cases (O recovered patient) respectively. Karnataka has 31 cases and 15 people have recovered from the new strain in the state so far, according to the Health Ministry data released this morning.

West Bengal has six cases so far while Haryana, Odisha  and Andhra Pradesh have four cases each. Other states that have reported Omicron strain include Jammu and Kashmir (3 cases), Uttar Pradesh (2 cases) and Ladakh (one case). The union territories of Chandigarh and Ladakh have reported one case each. 

Altogether, 130 people have recovered in the country from the new strain since it was first reported around late November.

This morning, India added 6,987 cases, taking the total count to 3,47,86,802. Active cases account for at 0.22% of the total cases, the lowest since March 2020.

In view of the new Omicron strain, India on Saturday announced  "precaution doses" for health and frontline workers and those above 60 from January 10. In a late night address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced vaccinations for children between 15 and 18 years from January 3.

"The government has decided that precaution doses of the Covid vaccine will be started for healthcare and frontline workers from January 10, 2022," the Prime Minister said in his address to nation on Christmas Day, not calling them booster shots.

The government's decision to vaccinate older children comes after much back-and-forth between various panels even as doctors' bodies called for it. The Centre had recently told parliament that its top advisers were deliberating and considering scientific evidence.

The rise of the Omicron variant has also heralded another pandemic-tinged Christmas for billions across the world, with Santa's arrival and longed-for family reunions overshadowed by the prospect of yet more COVID-19 restrictions.

Since it was first detected in South Africa last month, the Omicron variant has spread across the globe in lightning speed and is now present in 106 countries. Early data indicates that it could be better at dodging some vaccine protections, spurring the rush to provide boosters.