Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday, 1 January said that the third wave of COVID-19 has begun in the state, adding that most number of cases were being reported from two cities - Patna and Gaya.
This came after the first Omicron variant was detected in the state. A 26-year-old patient from Patna who had recently returned from Delhi tested positive for the COVID-19 variant on 30 December, news agency ANI reported.
"Bihar has recorded the first Omicron case. Everyone has to be alert. The state is witnessing a sharp rise in cases, with the maximum being registered in Patna and Gaya. A large number of people from other states reside in these two places, and this could be a reason behind the spike in cases in these areas," Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
"The third Covid wave has begun in the state. We are fully prepared to tackle this wave. The health department has upgraded hospital infrastructure," he added.
The chief minister said that samples of patients who are testing positive for COVID-19 are being sent to Delhi for genome sequencing.
"People from outside the state are being tested for COVID-19, and if anyone's result is returning positive, his/her samples are being sent to Delhi for genome sequencing. We will discuss in the review meeting on opening a genome sequencing laboratory in the state," the CM said.
Meanwhile, India on Saturday reported 22,775 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, with the active cases at 1,04,781. While the recoveries stood at 8,949, the toll stands at 406 deaths, according to the health ministry's update.
A total of 1,431 Omicron cases have been confirmed in India.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)
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