Gujarat reported 654 new cases of Covid-19 on friday, with Ahmedabad accounting for nearly half of them (311). In addition, the state reported 16 new cases of Omicron, bringing the total number of cases of the new variant to 113.
Meanwhile, the state home department has threatened to arrest and charge anyone who violates Covid protocols such as masking, social distancing, and no spitting in public places. The order, issued by Nikhil Bhatt, additional secretary at the home department, stated that wearing a face cover is required in public places, workplaces, and while travelling. It also required social distancing in public places, with a minimum distance of six feet. Spitting in public places will be punishable by a fine under current regulations, and shops will be required to maintain social distancing
Police commissioners and district magistrates were directed to issue notifications to this effect in accordance with CrPC Section 144. Violations of the protocols will result in charges under the Gujarat Epidemic Diseases COVID19 Regulation, 2020, IPC Section 188, and Disaster Management Act provisions.
The general administration department has also issued a resolution stating that only visitors who have received both doses of a Covid vaccine will be issued an admission pass to enter government offices on the Secretariat and Vidhan Sabha grounds. All government and quasi-government offices, institutions receiving government grants, offices of government boards and corporations, and local self-governing bodies will face similar restrictions.
The mandate comes into force starting January 1, the resolution stated.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s data on weekly test positivity rate of districts across India shows four districts — Ahmedabad (2.72 per cent), Vadodara (1.56 per cent), Rajkot (1.28 per cent) and Kheda (1.19 per cent) — with test positivity rates between one and three per cent for the week between December 24 and December 30. This comes even as Gujarat health minister Rushikesh Patel, in a press briefing Thursday, said the state’s test positivity rate between December 1 and 30 is at 0.79 percent — below the one per cent threshold.
The four districts have reported the highest test positivity rate in the state and are seeing an increase in the weekly test positivity rate. Meanwhile, Bharuch (75 per cent), Junagadh (49 per cent) and Banaskantha (68 per cent) are the only three districts in the state where nearly 50 per cent or more of the total tests conducted are rapid antigen tests.
Of the 16 new Omicron cases detected, only seven have international travel history.
Meanwhile, Vadodara reported its first Omicron case on Friday, involving a 45-year-old woman from the Gokulnagar area.
In Junagadh, a 54-year-old man arrived from Nairobi and tested positive upon arrival in Ahmedabad for the Omicron variant.