Kerala's State Health Minister Explains That Omicron Is Responsible For 94% Of COVID cases.

Veena George expressed her thoughts that it is now evident that the third wave in Kerala is the Omicron wave. Covid positive samples are being sequenced on a continuous basis. Omicron is found in nearly 94% of samples, while delta is found in only 6%.

Despite the increase in COVID-19 cases in the state, Kerala Health Minister noted that only 4% of COVID-19 patients in the southern state required hospitalisation, and only 1% need oxygen beds. She explained that only 3.6 percent of positive cases in Kerala are hospitalised, with 0.7 percent requiring oxygen beds and 0.6 percent requiring ICU.

In India, there were 22.02 lakh active COVID-19 cases recorded till January 27. For the week, the country's optimism level is at 17.75 percent. Over 3 lakh instances of COVID-19 have been reported in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala, all of which have been designated as states of 'concern' by the Union Health Ministry.

On Thursday, the Union Health Ministry's Joint Secretary, Luv Aggarwal, stated that for the previous week, the overall case positive rate in the United States was about 17.75 percent. In 11 states, there are more than 50,000 active COVID cases, 10,000-50,000 active cases in 14 states, and less than 10,000 active cases in 11 states.

Meanwhile, after testing 116,003 samples, Kerala reported 51,739 new Covid cases on Thursday, with a test positivity rate of 44.6 percent. The state also confirmed 11 deaths, as well as 57 previously unreported deaths, bringing the total number of deaths to 52,434.

As the number of cases grew, the administration ordered local governments to establish community kitchens around the state. Because many households have been entirely affected, there is a food scarcity, prompting the government to establish a community kitchen, which was a success during two previous rounds. The health administration has also established Covid war centres in each district, with a minister in charge of making quick decisions. It also decided to increase the number of Covid first-line treatment centres and enlist the assistance of health volunteers.