Coronavirus variant Omicron and its subtypes are driving the surge in Delhi, according to government sources. Samples that underwent genome sequencing have shown the presence of BA.2.12.1 and 8 other subtypes of Omicron variant of the coronavirus, they added.
After witnessing a spike in COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks, Delhi had started genome sequencing of samples of all COVID-19 infected people in the national capital to ascertain if a new variant, such as the XE variant, had started spreading in the city.
Delhi logged in 1,009 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the highest since February 10, according to the latest state health bulletin. The positivity rate in the national capital climbed to 5.7 per cent and one person died due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.
In view of the spike in cases, the Delhi government on Wednesday made wearing of masks mandatory in public places and imposed a fine of Rs 500 on violators.
Officials said the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), in its meeting, also decided not to shut schools, but chose to come up with a separate Standard Operating Procedure in consultation with experts.
Meanwhile, recent government data has shown that 97 per cent of the samples taken from those who died of COVID in Delhi from January to March had the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
Genome sequencing of 578 samples collected from the deceased showed 560 of them had the Omicron variant.
The remaining 18 (three percent) had other variants of COVID-19, including Delta, which fuelled the ferocious second wave of infections in April and May last year, and sub lineages.
Overall, the Omicron variant was found in all the 504 samples analysed at genome sequencing laboratories in the capital in March.
(With from Sneha Mordani and PTI )
Also read: COVID-19: Over 2,000 new cases reported for second consecutive day; details here