Mumbai, Dec 7 (IANS): With Maharashtra reporting 10 case of Omicron variant of Covid-19, state Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray on Tuesday urged the Centre to slash the minimum vaccination age from 18 to 15 years.

In a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandviya, Thackeray Jr. has said that would keep students attending schools and colleges safe from the virus variant.

He also urged the Centre to permit a third booster dose to healthcare and frontline workers who are fully vaccinated.

Thackeray Jr. further asked the Centre to consider reducing the gap between two doses to cover a wider population within a shorter time span.

"If the gap between two doses is reduced to four weeks, just like for those applying to work or study abroad, the city will cover 100 per cent of its population with the second dose by mid-January 2022, without asking for more vaccines or altering its delivery schedule," he saidt.

"I have written to Health Minister Mansukh Mandviyaji, a few suggestions that have come from various interactions with doctors and those closely observing the Covid situation, so that we can protect our citizens in the light of newly emerging variant," said the Minister later.

His letter comes in the wake of Maharashtra reporting Omicron cases for the three consecutive days, including two in Mumbai, one in Thane, and seven in Pune, taking the state tally to 10.

State health authorities have intensified surveillance of all passengers arriving at the 3 international airports in the state - Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur - from the 'high risk' or 'at risk' nations, besides random tests from people reaching from other countries.

A total of 11 samples of patients who tested positive have been sent for genomic sequencing to ascertain their exact nature of infection.