The state on Wednesday recorded 67 new coronavirus cases — an increase of six cases from yesterday’s 61 cases, taking the active cases tally in the state to 417. Eight patients are on ventilator support and no deaths were reported. Yet again, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation logged the highest number of positive patients — 23, as against yesterday’s 25– a minimal drop of 2 cases in the last 24 hours. No deaths were reported in Ahmedabad city as well.
The state, over the past two weeks, has been seeing a steady rise in the number of cases, barring Saturday and Sunday, when the testing and tracing is reportedly at its lowest.
Meanwhile, the state and city administration is confident that the available Covid-treatment infrastructure will be able to accommodate in case of much faster rising Covid cases.
Dr Bharat Ghadvi, president of Ahmedabad Hospital and Nursing Home Association (AHNA), told VoI, “As of now, we have 2,150 dedicated beds for Covid patients in the city. The number of critical care beds can be increased as and when the need arises. The infrastructure is already present.”
So far, the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital is the only facility in the city that has dedicated a 12-bed ward for patients infected with the Omicron variant. The Rajkot Municipal Administration is also planning to set up an Omicron dedicated ward soon.
Report of Samples of 8 Students Sent For Covid Testing Awaited
Samples of eight students of the brother-in-law of the 72-year-old NRI from Zimbabwe who became the first person to be infected from the Omicron variant in Gujarat are likely to arrive tomorrow. The students are between the 5-8 age group and have been asked by the authorities to remain under home isolation till their report arrives.
The 72-year-old had landed in Jamnagar from Zimbabwe on November 28. On a complaint from a local corporator that children were attending tuitions at the house on Morkanda Road, outside Kalawad Naka, the municipal health corporation has identified eight children who attended these tuitions. Later it was revealed that the 72-year-old’s brother-in-law was taking the tuition at his home. He also tested positive for the coronavirus infection on Sunday, along with the NRI’s wife. So far, they have not been confirmed as Omicron positive, but it is suspected that they might be infected with the same virus.
The 72-year-old man, a senior citizen who flew to Ahmedabad from Zimbabwe via Dubai, reportedly fell victim to the Omicron variant after a positive coronavirus test. His brother-in-law had gone to receive the NRI from Zimbabwe at Ahmedabad Airport, the health authorities had revealed.
With the results of the students, wife and brother-in-law awaited, Gujarat till Tuesday has 10 suspected cases of Omicron variant. The samples of wife and brother-in-law have been sent for genome sequencing. All reports are still awaited.
