Nine members of a family in Jaipur have tested positive for COVID-19, days after four of them returned from South Africa, news agency PTI reported.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday, warned that countries in the Asia-Pacific region need to strengthen healthcare services and focus on vaccinating their people, as the omicron variant spreads globally and enters new regions.
Two cases of COVID-19's Omicron variant have been reported in India so far, said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, on Thursday at a press conference held in New Delhi.
Both cases have been found in Karnataka, in fully vaccinated males aged 46 and 66 years. Contact tracing is being done, government authorities said at the press conference, adding that the public need not panic.
'Omicron,' which has been declared as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO), has raised alarm bells across the globe
According to the World Health Organization, it is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible or severe compared to Delta
The Omicron variant is likely to spread internationally, posing a "very high" global risk where COVID-19 surges could have "severe consequences," WHO had said on Monday, 29 November
The B.1.1.529 strain of COVID-19, or Omicron, was first reported by South Africa on 24 November 2021
In Netherlands, the variant reportedly emerged a week prior to its detection in SA
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1 Suspected Omicron Case Reported in Kerala
A 46-year old man, who recently returned to Kerala from the UK, tested positive for COVID-19, and is suspected of being infected with the Omicron variant, reported The New Indian Express.
The samples of the patient have been sent for genome sequencing,
Over 12 Omicron-Suspected Patients Admitted in Delhi's LNJP Hospital
Over 12 patients, suspected to be infected by the Omicron COVID variant, have been admitted at Delhi's Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital.
The patients, whose samples have been sent for genome sequencing, are lodging in the isolation ward of the hospital.
Dr Suresh Kumar, MD, LNJP hospital told The Quint, "Till today morning, there were 12 Omicron suspected patients. There samples have been sent for genome sequencing. A few more got admitted today but I'm yet to get their details. All patients are adults. Of them, only one has complained of symptoms of mild fever."
He further said that all suspected Omicron patients have foreign travel history – 4 had come back from the UK, 4 from France, 1 from Tanzania, 1 from Belgium, and 2 from the Netherlands.
16,000 Passengers From 'At Risk' Countries Tested, 18 Positive: Health Min
Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday, 3 December, informed that RT-PCR testing of over 16,000 passengers arriving on 58 flights from 'at risk' countries has been done so far.
"18 of these tested positive for in RT-PCR testing, their genome sequencing is underway so that it can be determined if they have Omicron Variant or not," he added, according to ANI.
Health Min Mandaviya Doles Out Credit to Modi Govt for COVID Management
Union Health Minister Manshukh Mandaviya on Friday, 3 December, credited his government with having been alert before COVID-19 hit India. According to ANI, Mandaviya said in the Lok Sabha:
“First COVID-19 case in India was reported on 13th Jan 2020 in Kerala. But the 1st meeting of Jt Monitoring Committee constituted by Centre, was held on 8th Jan 2020. It means we were alert, a committee had been formed before the case was reported and it had started working.”
Further he also gave credit to the Modi government for scrapping rules that delayed vaccine research and production, comparing the same with earlier times.
“There was a time when it took 3 yrs for approval if someone did research on a vaccine. So, nobody used to do research. We scrapped those rules and the nation got vaccine after research within a year - this facility has been given by PM Modi.”