India records 'first Omicron death' in Maharashtra

New Delhi, Dec 31: India recorded its first 'Omicron death' after the new variant was detected in the samples of a 52-year-old man, who recently died of a cardiac arrest in Pimpri, Maharashtra.

The patient had a travel history to Nigeria and died of a heart attack on December 28 (tested positive for Omicron), but the death had nothing to do with the infection, the release said.

This patient had diabetes for the last 13 years. He was admitted to the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation's Yashwantrao Chavan Hospital.

Meanwhile, 198 new cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus were detected in Maharashtra on Thursday by the National Institute of Virology (NIV). with this, the total number of Omicron cases in the state has jumped to 450. Of the 198 patients reported by NIV, 30 are international travellers.

India reported 258 omicron cases on Thursday, bringing the total to 1195. Following Maharashtra, Delhi reported the second highest case, 25, and Haryana reported 23 cases. Telangana, Orissa, and Bengal each reported five cases, and Bihar and Punjab each recorded one infection. Omicron currently spans 24 states and UT.