'Omicron Surge' 30% of Parliamentary Staff in India Test Positive

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] In India, where the COVID-19 Omicron variant is rapidly spreading, nearly 30% of parliamentary staff have tested positive.

Local media such as The Times of India reported on the 10th that among 1,409 parliamentary staff tested between the 4th and 8th, 402 (28.5%) were confirmed positive. Authorities are currently conducting genetic sequencing to determine whether these infections are due to the Omicron variant.

Since budget review sessions are scheduled to begin early next month in the parliament, there is concern that continued spread among staff could disrupt the sessions.

India, the origin of the Delta variant, is experiencing a sharp increase in confirmed cases due to the spread of the Omicron variant. The number of new confirmed cases on this day was 179,723, about 34 times higher than the 5,326 cases reported on the 21st of last month.

In particular, the spread in major cities such as the capital New Delhi and Mumbai is severe. The number of new confirmed cases in New Delhi and Mumbai on this day were 22,751 and 19,474, respectively.

Professor Manindra Agrawal of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur said, "The number of new confirmed cases in New Delhi and Mumbai is expected to peak in mid-month at around 50,000 to 60,000 and 30,000, respectively." He added, "The total number of new confirmed cases could increase to between 400,000 and 800,000 by the end of this month."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.