Amravati/Chandigarh: The total number of Omicron cases in the country went up to 36 as three more fresh cases were detected, one each in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Chandigarh. The first case of the Omicron strain of Covid-19 has been detected in Andhra Pradesh. A 34-year-old foreign traveller from Ireland tested positive with the Omicron variant. The information was disclosed by the State Health Department on Sunday.
The person first landed in Mumbai and was tested negative for Covid-19 following which was allowed to go to travel to Visakhapatnam on November 27. But when a retest was conducted later he tested positive.
"On conducting RTPCR retest at Vizianagaram he was found to be positive. His sample was sent to CCMB in Hyderabad for Genome Sequencing and the result was declared as Omicron positive. He does not have any symptoms and was re-tested on December 11 and RT-PCR result found to be negative for Covid," stated a release by the State Health Department.
It also stated that currently there are no other omicron cases in Andhra Pradesh.
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"This is the first case of Omicron identified in Andhra Pradesh. So far a total of 15 foreign travellers were found Covid RTPCR positive and all the 15 samples were sent to CCMB for genome sequencing. Whole-genome sequencing reports are received in 10 cases and of them, one is identified as Omicron," the Health Department said.
It advised the public not to panic and not to believe in rumours, but continue to follow Covid's appropriate behaviour, including wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.
As for the Omicron case in Chandigarh, a 20-year-old youth tested positive with the new strain. The Chandigarh Health Department said that he came to India from Italy on November 22.
