India's Omicron count inches closer to 300, states rush to clamp curbs ahead of festive season

The cases of the more infectious Omicron variant of Covid-19 are inching closer to 300 in India. Tamil Nadu witnessed Omicron explosion with 33 cases being reported in a single day. Meanwhile, Delhi and Maharashtra remain at the top of India's Omicron tally.

First Omicron cases were detected in Uttarakhand and Haryana on Wednesday. A 23-year-old woman who returned from Scotland has been found to be infected with the new variant.

In Haryana, four foreign returnees tested positive for the Omicron variant.

Omicron cases have so far been reported in 17 states and Union Territories.

Also watch: Omicron Alert: Mumbai and Delhi see a big jump in daily Covid-19 infections

Apart from 57 cases in Delhi and 65 in Maharashtra, the fast-spreading Omicron strain has seen a sharp rise in Tamil Nadu. Telangana and Karnataka have so far reported 24 cases each, Rajasthan 22, Kerala 24 and Gujarat 23.

Three cases have been reported each in Jammu and Kashmir, and West Bengal. Two cases each have been detected in Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Ladakh and Tamil Nadu have reported one case each.

The Centre had on Tuesday shot an advisory to states amid rising Omicron cases. The Central government has asked the states to activate "war rooms" and bring back curbs, including night curfews to contain it.

The World Health Organization has said the Omicron variant is spreading faster than the Delta variant and is causing infections in people already vaccinated or who have recovered from Covid.