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Doctor with no travel history among India's first Omicron cases; 5 contacts test COVID positive

Samples have been sent for sequencing; CM Bommai to chair high-level meet on Friday

bengaluru-airport-bhanu [File] A view of the Bengaluru airport | Bhanu Prakash Chandra

India's first Omicron cases were reported in Bengaluru on Thursday with two persons testing positive for the new COVID-19 variant. One of the two cases is a South African national who has already left the country while the other is a local doctor with no travel history.

Officials said both the persons had taken two doses of the vaccine. Five contacts of the doctor have tested positive for COVID-19 and their samples have been sent for genomic sequencing.

BBMP (city corporation) Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said the 66-year-old South African national came to Bengaluru on November 20. 

“His samples were collected at the airport and subsequently he tested positive. His samples were sent for genome sequencing the reports of which came today confirming he was infected by Omicron," he said.

Gupta said the foreigner, who was isolated in a hotel, underwent the COVID-19 test in another laboratory on November 23 and the result of which came positive. He then left the country for Dubai on November 27. 

The Commissioner said 24 primary and 240 secondary contacts of the foreigner have tested negative, but all of them have been kept under watch.

The 46-year-old doctor underwent the COVID test on November 22 after he developed tiredness and fever and the result came. Gupta said as his sample had low cycle threshold (Ct) value and it was sent to NCBS lab. The report came today as positive.

His three primary and two secondary contacts have tested positive for COVID-19. They have been kept under isolation and their samples have been sent for sequencing.

State Health Minister K. Sudhakar said there is no need to worry, but appealed to people to get vaccinated immediately and follow COVID-appropriate behaviour.

"How it (Omicron) spreads, we can't say as of now, but there is no need to worry as all the six cases identified so far don't have any major health issues. We have seen the Delta variant, it had intensity, more issues like breathing, such things have not been noticed so far. Symptoms here are mild," he said.

Sudhakar said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who is in Delhi, will chair a high-level meeting on Friday to decide on the next course of action and precautionary measures that need to be taken.

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