23 fresh Omicron infections, active Covid cases double in three days

Health Minister Anil Vij said people eligible for vaccination but not fully vaccinated will be banned from shopping malls, cinema halls, restaurants and grain markets, among other crowded places from January 1.

Of the 37 cases of Omnicron variant, 12 are active while the rest have been discharged, a health department bulletin stated.

Meanwhile, the state continued to register a surge in Covid-19 cases, with 300 new infections being reported Thursday, 180 of them from Gurugram alone. Faridabad and Panchkula reported 44 and 20 new infections respectively. However, no fresh fatality due to the viral disease was reported in the state.

The total case count now stands at 7,73,361 in the state, while the toll remained unchanged at 10,063.
The number of active coronavirus cases in the state has almost doubled in three days, from 536 on Monday to 1,047 on Thursday, while 7,62,228 patients have recuperated, the bulletin said, adding that the recovery rate was recorded at 98.56 per cent.

Meanwhile, Vij said over 15 lakh children, between the age of 15 and 18 eligible for coronavirus vaccine, will start getting the jab from January 3. He said their online registration will begin on January 1 while the option for on-site registration is also available.

Talking to reporters after a review meeting, Vij said a separate queue for children will be maintained and dedicated staff will be put on duty for their vaccination. If feasible and wherever possible, a separate vaccination centre for them will be set up.

He said arrangements have also been made for “precaution dose” (third dose) to healthcare workers, frontline staff and senior citizens with co-morbidities from next month.

Officials in the meeting informed the minister that the total number of healthcare and frontline workers in the state is about 5 lakh and the number of people with comorbidities above 60 years of age is about 5.78 lakh. It was also informed in the meeting that district immunisation officers, urban nodal officers and data managers have been given orientation regarding vaccination of children and precaution dosage as per the guidelines of Centre.

Vij said the genome sequencing lab set up in Rohtak’s Maharishi Dayanand University has got the certificate to operate and this lab will be operational soon.