As Coronavirus cases witnessed a five-fold increase in the last 10 days, Himachal Pradesh on Thursday recorded 8 new Omicron variant cases while 21 persons have been tested positive for Delta variant.

A Health department official said a total of 156 samples were sent for whole genome sequencing to NCDC Delhi in the month of January 2022. These 156 samples were of the patients found COVID positive from 15th December to 31st December 2021. All the samples sent were from sentinel sites and none of the samples was of any international traveller.

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He stated that 43 whole genome sequencing (WGS) reports have been received from National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Delhi today.

Amongst these 43 WGS samples, mutations have been found in 29 samples. As per the reports of WGS received, 8 WGS samples have been found positive for omicron and 21 samples have been found positive for delta variants of COVID virus.

The 8 omicron cases include 5 cases from Kullu district and 1 each from Shimla, Solan and Chamba districts respectively, he added.

He further stated that till now total 15 cases of Omicron have been found in the state. The 8 cases of omicron have been reported today, 6 omicron cases have been reported in international passengers (3 from Mandi, 2 from Una and 1 from Kullu district), of which 1 case was reported on 26 December 2021 and the rest 5 on 17 January 2022. He added that 1 case of omicron has also been reported from a cluster in Sirmaur district recently.

Initially, omicron variant was reported only in international travellers but now this variant has been reported from the community also.

Out of total 19,24,051 active cases in the country, 14,918 cases are from Himachal Pradesh. Since 8 January 2022, there has been a consistent rise in the number of active cases.

The active case trend of Himachal shows that the number of active cases has increased from 2,793 on 8 January 2022 to 14,918 as on 19 January 2022 and the number of active cases have increased by five times in a span of 10 days.

The numbers of admissions of Covid positive patients have also increased as the bed occupancy has also increased by nearly five times in a time period of 10 days. On 8 January 2022, total 51 beds were occupied by Coronavirus positive patients, of them 31 patients required oxygen and only 3 patients needed ventilators.

While as on 19 January 2022, out of total 14, 918 active cases, 249 patients required admission in Covid dedicated institutions and of these admitted patients, 132 patients needed oxygen and only 2 patients were on ventilator. The rest 115 patients are maintaining well in room air.

Though the admissions of the Covid positive patients have increased across the state, most of the patients are stable, maintaining well on or off oxygen. Of the total admission of Covid positive patients, 0.9 per cent patients required ICU/ventilators.

The State Health department has appealed to the public not to panic and follow Covid appropriate behaviours like wearing masks, maintaining social distance, frequently washing hands or using sanitizers irrespective of the vaccination status.