The COVID-19 cases increased by 45, up from 235 on Wednesday to 280 on Thursday, even as five persons tested positive for Omicron. There was one death related to COVID on Thursday.
The Omicron cases on Thursday included one person who came from ‘at risk’ country and four from ‘not at risk’ countries. The total number of Omicron cases went up to 67. The increase in COVID cases confirmed the fears of the government that the third wave of the infection has commenced. Of concern was its rapid spread in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits where 167 cases were reported out of the aggregate 280 in the State on Thursday. There were only 121 COVID cases on Wednesday, 110 on Tuesday and 90 on Monday in GHMC.
The spike in COVID cases, particularly GHMC, was noticed since December 23 when there were 177 cases across the State while Hyderabad alone accounted for 93 of them. The total number of COVID cases so far in the State was 6.81 lakh. As many as 206 infected persons recovered, taking their total to 6.74 lakh. The number of persons who died so far were 4,025.
A total of 143 passengers arrived at Hyderabad international airport on Thursday from ‘at risk’ countries. Four of them were found RTPCR positive. Their samples were sent for genome sequencing.
As many as 127 samples were sent for genome sequencing so far, of which 67 were found to be Omicron positive. They included five from ‘at risk’ countries and 36 from ‘not at risk’ countries. Four contact persons also tested positive for Omicron variant and 22 cases recovered, taking the total to 67. Results of 20 samples sent for genome sequencing were awaited. A total of 12,410 passengers arrived at the airport here from ‘at risk’ countries so far.
While the screening of passengers arriving from ‘at risk’ countries was cent per cent, only two per cent of passengers coming from ‘not at risk’ countries were randomly tested. The Director of Public Health G. Srinivasa Rao has said that the genome sequencing of samples was done at only two labs in the State which delayed results.
