Mumbai: Genome sequencing mandatory for foreign arrivals

The municipal corporation is on high alert as this variant may spread through foreign travellers arriving in Mumbai.

Mumbai: With the World Health Organisation (WHO) sounding alarm bells over the new Covid-19 variant, the authorities are racing to take precautionary measures. In view of the new development, all international arrivals at the Mumbai airport will have to undergo genome sequencing.

In order to prevent the spread of new variant in Mumbai, genome sequencing will be done for every foreign tourist, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar informed today. She also cautioned the people to be ready to face the new variant.

The municipal corporation is on high alert as this variant may spread through foreign travellers arriving in Mumbai. As a result, the municipality plans to quarantine tourists from South Africa.

The measures come after the WHO designated the new Covid-19 variant B.1.1.529, as a variant of concern. The variant, named 'Omicron', was detected in South Africa and reported to the WHO on November 21.