Omicron scare: 10 passengers from ‘at-risk’ nations test Covid +ve

Mumbai: At least 10 cases of Covid-19 have been detected after the screening of passengers from flights arriving in India from “at-risk” countries starting December.

The positive samples of the passengers have been sent for Genomic Sequencing to determine if the cases relate to the Omicron variant.

A total of 11 international flights landed at various airports of the country from “at-risk” countries between midnight till 4 pm on December 1, carrying 3476 passengers.

All 3476 passengers were administered RTPCR tests, wherein 6 passengers were found Covid-19 positive.

Four more international passengers from ‘countries at risk’ were identified with the novel coronavirus in Mumbai on December 2, taking the total cases to 10.

The Centre issued new guidelines for international travelers which came into effect from December 1. The new rules were necessitated as public health response measures for control and management of the new Covid strain which has been designated as a Variant of Concern (VOC) by WHO.

There will be a mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine for all passengers from nations on the Health Ministry’s ‘at risk’ list, which includes the United Kingdom and countries in mainland Europe, South Africa, Botswana, Brazil, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Israel, and New Zealand.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told Parliament that the Omicron variant is not yet in India. However, a senior doctor at the government-run ICMR told NDTV the strain is likely already here.

Image courtesy of Photo: indiatvnews.com

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