Maharashtra Covid: 23 new cases of highly-transmissible BA.4, BA.5 Omicron variants detected today

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Maharashtra Covid-19 update: The state on Saturday reported 23 new cases of BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Covid-19 Omicron variant, suggested data provided by the state health ministry. 

The sub-variants are of the highly-transmissible Omicron variant of coronavirus.

As per the report of the Mumbai-based Kasturba Hospital Central Laboratory, which has been evaluated by the National Institute of Virology in Pune, the 23 cases comprise 17 infections caused by BA.5 and six by BA.4. It said one patient was below 18 years of age, two are in the 18-25 segment, nine are in between 26 and 50 years and 11 patients are 50-plus.

Of the 23 patients, 12 are women and the rest men, the report added.

The report informed that of the 49 samples, 28 are in Mumbai, 15 in Pune, four in Nagpur and two in Thane.

The Kasturba laboratory has tested 364 samples, which were collected between June 1 and 18 and barring one, all have been of the Omicron variant, while BA.2 and BA.238 have been found in 325 samples, a state health department bulletin said.

State's Covid tally not accurate 

The state on Saturday reported 1,728 COVID-19 cases, lower than the actual rise, due to a technical glitch in the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) portal, and four fatalities, the state health department said.

On Friday, the state had reported 4,205 COVID-19 cases after breaching the 5,000-mark on Thursday.

Maharashtra's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Today's cases 1,728, total cases 79,56,173, deaths 4, total deaths 1,47,900, tests 19,372, total tests 8,18,13,248. 

(pti inputs)

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