India recorded 8,439 new COVID-19 cases and 195 deaths, as per Union Health Ministry data on Wednesday, 8 December. The total active cases in the country stand at 93,733, which is the lowest in over 18 months.
On Tuesday, in view of the concern surrounding Omicron variant, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had called upon the administration to announce "additional" COVID vaccine doses for healthcare, frontline workers, and immunocompromised individuals.
Saying that it is scientifically evident that the Omicron cases will increase, the agency stated, "If we do not take adequate measures, we may have a massive third wave."
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said that 85 percent of India's eligible adult population had been administered the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine
India's tally of Omicron currently stands at 23
Nine people tested positive for Omicron in Rajasthan on Sunday
Seven new cases of Omicron were reported from Maharashtra
Delhi reported its first case in a 37-year-old man who had returned from Tanzania
India's first two cases were reported from Karnataka
Tamil Nadu Reports 703 Fresh COVID Cases, 11 Deaths
Tamil Nadu reported 703 new cases, 728 recoveries, and 11 deaths on Wednesday. There are 7,946 active cases in the state.
10 Omicron Cases in Maharashtra
A total of 10 Omicron cases have been detected in Maharashtra till Wednesday, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said.
"About 65 swabs have been sent for genome sequencing, their reports are awaited. We have 3 labs for genome sequencing, will expand further in Nagpur and Aurangabad," he indicated.
Kerala Report Over 5,000 Fresh COVID Cases
Kerala reports 5,038 new cases, 35 deaths, and 4,039 recoveries on Wednesday. The active cases in the state have risen to 40,959.
Europe Health Agency Warns of Increased Deaths, Hospitalisation
A key European health agency issued a warning on Tuesday, saying that deaths and hospitalisations from Covid-19 will continue rising in Europe as immunisation rates fail to match up to the rate of transmission of disease, Bloomberg reported.
Andrea Ammon, the director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said, "In the coming weeks, there will be increasing parameters of cases, deaths, hospitalisation and ICU admissions," adding that Omicron makes the situation even worrying.
The ECDC informed that it has detected at least 274 omicron cases in 19 European countries.
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