Omicron scare: Section 144 imposed in Mumbai for 48 hours

MUMBAI: The Mumbai police on Friday imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) within Mumbai commissionerate limits prohibiting rallies and protest marches involving people and vehicles over the next two days i.e., December 11 and 12.

The order, issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), will be in force for 48 hours on Saturday and Sunday.

"It has been issued to prevent danger to human life from the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 as well as a threat to the law and order situation against the backdrop of violence that took place in Amravati, Malegaon and Nanded," the order stated said.Violators will be punished under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and other legal provisions, the ordered stated.

Maharashtra reported seven new cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, including a one-and-a-half-year-old toddler - three from Mumbai and four from Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation - taking the tally to 17 in the state.

Three men, aged 48, 25 and 37, are returnees from Tanzania, the UK and South Africa, respectively, while the four patients are the contacts of Nigerian women, who was infected with the new variant on December 6.

Of the seven, four are asymptomatic while three have mild symptoms.

Of these new cases, four are fully vaccinated, one has been administered with a single dose against COVID-19 and one is unvaccinated. The toddler is not eligible for vaccination.