4 hr 20 min ago
More than 145 Delhi healthcare workers test positive for Covid, raising fears of staff shortages
From Esha Mitra in New Delhi
Health workers inside the Commonwealth Games Village Sports Complex, which has been temporarily converted into Covid-19 care center, in New Delhi on January 5, 2022. (Money Sharma/AFP/Getty Images)
At least 145 healthcare workers have tested positive for Covid-19 in just two hospitals in the Indian capital of New Delhi.
At the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, at least 80 doctors have tested positive, according to Dr. Jaswant Jangra, secretary of the hospital's Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA). Jangra added that the number of patients hospitalized with Covid symptoms rose from 12 last week to 60, but the majority are being advised to isolate at home.
In Ram Manohar Lohiya, a government-run hospital, at least 65 healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses have also tested positive, according to Dr. Furquan Ahmed, from the hospital’s RDA.
Ahmed said most of the cases "are mild to moderate" and don't require hospitalization, but the situation is "taxing."
“I myself have headache and fever, I got tested yesterday and I’m awaiting my report,” Ahmed told CNN Wednesday.
Medical professionals are concerned that the number of doctors and nurses testing positive could lead to critical staff shortages. The Indian Medical Association had warned that a delay in allocating newly deployed doctors to hospitals had led to a shortage of 45,000 doctors on the frontline.
“In my department alone, 11 doctors have tested positive," Ahmed said. "Because the new batch of doctors hasn’t come in there is a shortage, so definitely we will be understaffed if admissions rise."
Delhi reported 5,481 new cases Tuesday evening, the highest single day rise in cases since May 16 last year, according to local health bulletins.
The Indian Health Ministry said Wednesday 2,135 cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in the country since December 2. The ministry said last week that while Delta remains the dominant variant, Omicron was likely the driver of a recent uptick in cases.
5 hr 32 min ago
India sees a sharp rise in Covid cases as another state imposes weekend curfew
From CNN's Esha Mitra in New Delhi
A health worker inoculates a student with a dose of the Covaxin vaccine against the Covid-19 coronavirus during a vaccination drive for youths of the 15-18 group age at a Government High School in Bangalore on January 4, 2022. (Manjunath Kiran/AFP/Getty Images)
India on Wednesday reported the highest single-day rise in coronavirus cases since June 20 last year, according to a CNN tally of figures from the Indian Health Ministry.
The country reported
58,097 new infections — a 55% increase on the previous day, which saw 37,379 cases, the Health Ministry said.
On Tuesday, the southern state of Karnataka became the second to impose a weekend curfew where all activities except essential services will be shut on Saturday and Sunday. Earlier in the day, the national capital territory of Delhi was the first to impose such restrictions.
“Data shows us that cases are doubling every 2 to 3 days in Karnataka!” K. Sudhakar, Karnataka’s health minister tweeted. Earlier, Delhi’s health minister told reporters the Omicron variant constituted the majority of new cases in the capital.
Political rallies: At least 15 of India’s 28 states and eight union territories have some restrictions to curb the spread of the virus. However, politicians have continued to hold large gatherings with thousands in attendance ahead of elections in five states in early 2022.
No national restrictions on political gatherings have been put in place so far.
On Monday, India began vaccinating children ages 15 to 18. As of Tuesday evening, a total of 8,145,038 vaccine doses had been administered to children, according to the Health Ministry.
India has so far reported 35,018,358 Covid-19 cases and 482,551 deaths.