India: Falling graph of mask use could cost us - Official

New Delhi: India reported its lowest tally of active COVID-19 cases in 18 months on Monday, but a sharp drop in the use of protective face masks is causing concern after a rise in the number of infections with the Omicron variant.

Many people have been standing or sitting close to each other without masks, or covering only their chins, at big rallies held by political parties in several states before elections. Something similar happened before the Delta variant ravaged India from April.

Cases have come down sharply since then, with an active COVID-19 total of 91,456 as of early Monday, the lowest in 561 days, according to the Health Ministry.

But cases of the Omicron variant have risen to at least 36 in India, and accounted for 3% of the virus sequences analysed in the country in the past two weeks, with Delta accounting for the rest. Health authorities have been urging people to cover their mouths in public.

“The falling graph of mask use could cost us,” top Indian health official Vinod Kumar Paul told a recent news briefing.

“Mask is a universal vaccine, works on every variant.” Mask-wearing in public has fallen to levels last seen in March, before the second wave of cases, data from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation shows. Current mask-wearing is estimated at 59%, nearly the same as in March, having peaked at 81% in May.

The country reported 7,350 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, taking the total to 34.69 million. Deaths rose by 202 to 475,636.

Meanwhile, four fresh cases of Omicron variant have been detected in Rajasthan which took the total number of infected people in the state to 13, health officials said.

After Maharashtra, the state now stands second in the country with the highest number of Omicron-infected patients.

Maharashtra has 18 patients infected by the new variant while Rajasthan has tested 13 patients positive for Omicron. Out of them, 9 later tested negative and were sent home. A total of 42 Omicron-infected patients have been found across the country, so far.

As per Jaipur CMHO Narottam Sharma, “Besides four members of a family who tested positive for Omicron after returning from South Africa, their family members in Adarsh Nagar Janata Colony had also come in contact with them. While five people were earlier found infected with Omicron, the report of the remaining four people has been also found positive.”

Meanwhile, reports of genome sequencing of people who have returned from abroad in the past few days are yet to come in Jaipur. This includes those who returned from Ukraine, four family members who returned from Germany and two persons who returned from the US. Samples of these people have been sent for testing.

Besides Rajasthan and Maharashtra, three Omicron patients each in Gujarat and Karnataka, two in Delhi, one each in Chandigarh, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh have been found.

According to reports, out of all the Omicron infected cases found in India, most of the cases are asymptomatic including the 13 cases detected in Rajasthan.

In Delhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the national capital is prepared to tackle the threat posed by the Omicron variant, adding that his government will impose certain restrictions in the city if the need arises.

“We are ready to tackle the Omicron threat. If required, we will impose necessary restrictions. Currently, there is no such need,” he said.

The Chief Minister added that several review meetings have been held for the availability of beds, oxygen cylinders and medicines in the hospitals.

“We don’t want Omicron to hit Delhi. But if it comes, we are ready for it. If it is needed for the safety and health of the people of Delhi, then we will definitely impose restrictions with experts’ recommendation,” said Kejriwal.

He urged residents of Delhi to avoid crowds and large gatherings in markets.

So far, Delhi has reported two Omicron cases.