Over Omicron, India has asked states to increase COVID testing

Virus testing will be increased as some cities postpone the reopening of schools as a precaution.

As the world battles the new coronavirus variant Omicron, India’s health ministry says states should ramp up COVID-19 testing, while some cities have delayed school reopenings as a precaution.

On Tuesday, the ministry also stated that the Omicron variant “doesn’t escape RT-PCR and RAT (testing). Assuaging some domestic health workers’ concerns that changes in the virus’s spike protein could result in conventional tests failing to detect the mutation.

Last week, the ministry warned state governments that a recent drop in testing could jeopardise India’s efforts to contain the pandemic. While no Omicron cases have been reporting in India. Authorities are looking into the sample of a man who tested positive for COVID. After returning from South Africa to see if he is infect with the Omicron or another variant.

Also, on Tuesday, Mumbai’s municipal corporation announced that, due to the global situation involving Omicron. It would postpone the reopening of schools for younger children to December 15 instead of Wednesday.

In-person classes for senior students began in the city about two months ago.

According to local media, the city of Pune. Which is also in the western state of Maharashtra, has also delayed the reopening of schools. After experiencing a record increase in infections and deaths in April and May, India has seen a significant decrease in cases.

On Wednesday, the number of COVID-19 cases increased by 8,954. On Tuesday, it was 6,990, the smallest increase in 551 days. The total number of coronavirus infections in India is nearly 35 million, with only the United States reporting more illnesses. Deaths increased by 267 on Wednesday, bringing the total to 469,247, according to health ministry data.

However, discovering the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has raised concerns about India’s vaccination campaign.