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New Delhi: A 37-year-old man who arrived in Delhi from Tanzania has tested positive for Omicron, making it the first case of the new COVID-19 variant in the national capital and the fifth case in the country.
Hospital officials said the patient is presently admitted to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital and has mild symptoms.
“So far, 17 COVID-19 patients and their six contacts have been admitted to Lok Nayak Hospital. As per the preliminary report, out of the 12 samples sent for genome sequencing so far, the omicron variant has been found,” Health Minister Satyendar Jain said.
“The patient is an Indian and had returned from Tanzania a few days back. He has mild symptoms,” an official told PTI.
“The travel history of the patient is being traced and his contacts are being traced,” he said.
The country reported the first two cases of the Omicron version of COVID-19 in Karnataka on Thursday – a 66-year-old South African flier and a 46-year-old Bengaluru doctor with no travel history. Both men have been fully vaccinated.
On Saturday, a 72-year-old NRI man from Gujarat and a 33-year-old man from Maharashtra tested positive for the new strain.
All the COVID-positive international passengers are being admitted to LNJP Hospital, where a dedicated ward has been set up to isolate and treat them.
According to the centre, the countries designated as “at risk” are the UK, and European countries including South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.
Under the new norms, RT-PCR tests are mandatory for passengers coming from “at-risk” countries and will be allowed to leave the airport only after the results are out.
Also, two per cent of the passengers arriving on flights from other countries will be randomly tested.
Read also: The Omicron variant is making headlines. World leaders prepare
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