Covid-19 pandemic: Telangana logs 7 new Omicron, 228 fresh cases

The new cases pushed the Covid tally to 681,072

Telangana on Tuesday reported seven new Omicron variant of COVID-19 cases taking the tally to 62, the Health department said, as the State achieved a key milestone in the battle against the pandemic by administering the first dose of COVID vaccines to 100 per cent of eligible beneficiaries.

Of the seven cases, four were passengers who arrived at the international airport from countries other than those declared 'at risk' by the Centre, while three were contacts of patients who tested positive for the variant earlier, a department bulletin said.

According to the bulletin, 13 among the 62 have recovered from the infection.

Meanwhile, Telangana today reported 228 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the tally to 6,81,072, while the death toll rose to 4,024 with one more fatality.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 110, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri (20) district, the bulletin said, providing details as of 5.30 PM today.

It said 185 people recovered from the infection and the cumulative number of recoveries till date was

6, 73,589.

The number of active cases was 3,459, the bulletin said.

Telangana has completed 100 per cent first dose COVID-19 vaccination by inoculating 2, 77, 67,000 eligible people above the age of 18. A total of 5.55 crore doses are targeted to be administered, Health Minister Harish Rao said.

"So far 100 per cent of the first dose and 66 per cent of the second dose vaccination have been completed. The national average is 90 per cent for the first dose and 63 per cent for the second dose. We are ahead of the national average," he said.

There are 22.78 lakh people aged 15-18 years (yet to be vaccinated), 41.60 lakh people above 60 years and 6.34 lakh health care and frontline warriors in the state and arrangements are being made to vaccinate them from January 3 (15-18 years) and (January 10 above 60 booster shots), Rao said.

Vaccination is being carried out in 3500 centres in the government and 264 centres in the private sector, he added.