PM Modi chairs COVID-19 review meeting

New Delhi [India], December 23 (ANI): Amid the concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding a meeting on Thursday with officials to review the pandemic situation in the country.

India has reported 7,495 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, Union Health Ministry informed on Thursday.
According to the Ministry, 236 cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been reported in the country so far. Out of this, Maharashtra topped the list with 65 confirmed cases followed by Delhi with 64 cases and Telangana with 24 cases. Of the 213 cases, 104 patients have recovered from the virus.
With the recovery of 6,960 patients in the last 24 hours, the cumulative tally of COVID recovered patients, since the beginning of the pandemic, now stand at 3,42,08,926.
As many as 434 Covid deaths have also been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative death toll from the virus to 4,78,759.
Meanwhile, Union Health Ministry on Tuesday alerted States and Union Territories about the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, and said that based on current scientific evidence, Omicron is at least three times more transmissible than the Delta variant.
The ministry further added that greater foresight, data analysis, dynamic decision making and strict and prompt containment action is required at the local and district level.
With the administration of 70,17,671 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 139.70 crore (1,39,69,76,774), Union Health Ministry informed. (ANI)