The fears surrounding the spread of the Omicron variant have now reached Telangana as two new cases of the new COVID-19 variant have been detected today at the Hyderabad international airport in the morning today, December 15.
According to ANI reports, the Omicron variant has been detected in two foreign nationals and a child in Hyderabad. The two adults were a 24-year-old Kenyan woman and a 23-year-old Somalian man who arrived at the Hyderabad international airport on December 12.
Dr G Srinivas Rao, Director of Public Health and Family Welfare in the state, said, “A man from Somalia and a woman from Kenya have tested positive for Omicron. They came to Hyderabad via Dubai… we are tracking one more person.”
The health officer further added, “The child who is an international traveler, has tested positive at the airport. He left directly to West Bengal after Hyderabad.” Dr Rao further said that both the adults who tested positive for the virus will be quarantined in Hyderabad only.
The child traveler never entered the city of Hyderabad and took a connecting flight to West Bengal, so technically, Hyderabad only has two cases of the new COVID-19 variant, said the authorities.
After both the foreign nationals make a full recovery from the Omicron variant, they will be sent back to their respective countries. “They were in the city for some personal work,” Dr Rao was quoted saying by ANI.
Authorities have further said that both the patients have very mild symptoms and are currently isolated. Swab samples have been collected from them and their family members for further examination.
Till now, over 50 cases of the Omicron variant have been detected across the country. Earlier today, eight new cases of the variant were detected in Maharashtra, making it the state with the highest number of Omicron cases.
India has also decided to tighten its international travel guidelines due to the spread of the Omicron variant across the world. All passengers from at-risk countries will now be tested for COVID-19 at the airport, and will also have to self-isolate for seven days.
(With ANI inputs)
