(Anadolu) NEW DELHI - As cases of the coronavirus omicron variant surge at an alarming pace, fears of a new coronavirus wave in India are growing by the day. Omicron infections have nearly tripled in less than a week, a stark reminder of just how vulnerable the country of some 1.4 billion people, which was ravaged by one of the world's worst Covid-19 outbreaks this year, remains to the virus. From 415 on Christmas, India's nationwide total of omicron cases has jumped to 1,270, with the highest figure registered in the western state of Maharashtra, according to Health Ministry data. In Maharashtra, home to India's financial hub Mumbai, over 8,000 infections were reported on Friday, a jump of more than 400 percent from under 1,500 this past Monday. The number of omicron infections in the state has swelled to 454 since the first case was registered on December 4, leading to stricter curbs being introduced by state authorities. Gatherings of more than four people have been proh