Kerala health minister Veena George on Tuesday said that both Delta and Omicron coronavirus variants are contributing the ongoing surge in daily cases. "Delta (variant) was the reason for more cases during the second wave.
The third wave happened before it was completely over. Now, both Delta and Omicron are contributing to the surge in Covid cases," George said.
Making it clear that the infectivity was very high these days, she said compared to the second wave, 5% more cases were expected this time around. “Officials should take special precautions to avoid cluster formations in their respective institutions," she said.
Speaking about the surge in Omicron cases, she said although the new variant's severity is lesser, it has the potential to spread the disease five to six times more than the Delta variant and so it should not be taken lightly. “Every single person should adhere to Covid protocol strictly to keep the pandemic under control," she said.