New Omicron Variant XBB Enters India: Maharashtra Government Warns of New COVID Spike Ahead of Diwali

The Maharashtra government said, "The XBB variant, found for the first time in the country, as well as winters and the festive season, could together add enough amount of fuel that can cause future spikes."

In the last 7 days, Maharastra has registered a spike of about 17,7 per cent in new coronavirus cases, compared to the last week. Speaking to the media about the reason behind this surge, the Maharashtra Health Ministry said that the sudden spike could be due to the lenient behaviour of the common people towards following OVID safety protocols. The government also added that the new COVID-19 cases have seen a spike of 17.17% in the October 10-16 period when compared to last week between October 3 and 9. The places which are seeing the most number of cases are - Thane, Raigad and Mumbai.

The warning comes at a time when India logged the very first case of the newly detected XBB variant of the Omicron strain. Cautioning the people about a future spike in the state, the Maharashtra government said, "The XBB variant, found for the first time in the country, as well as winters and the festive season, could together add enough amount of fuel that can cause future spikes."

A health official department bulletin said the XBB variant reported in the state had "growth advantage over BA.2.75 and immune evasive property". The BA.2.3.20 and BQ.1 variants have also been detected in the state, a first for the country, it added.

Follow this space to stay updated with all the latest developments from the health sector in India and around the world.