Andhra Pradesh Records First Case Of Omicron Variant Of Coronavirus

The foreign traveller has tested negative for Covid-19 on Saturday, December 11

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New Delhi: A 34-year-old foreign traveller who came from Ireland has tested positive for Covid-19 on November 27 and when his samples were sent to CCMB, Hyderabad for genome sequencing, it has resulted in him being infected with Omicron variant.

However, he didn't have any symptoms and after a fortnight that is on Saturday, December 11, he was retested and the RT-PCR result was found to be negative for Covid-19. There are no other Omicron cases in the state, stated a release by Director Public Health of Government of Andhra Pradesh.

First case of #Omicron variant of coronavirus detected in Andhra Pradesh pic.twitter.com/qiV9F4CtPg

— ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2021

He first reached Mumbai and there he has tested negative for the Covid-19 RT-PCR test. Then he was allowed to travel further and on reaching Vizianagaram, he was retested where he tested positive for Covid-19. Later through detailed genome sequencing, it was clarified that the Ireland traveller was positive for the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

This is the first Omicron case identified in Andhra Pradesh. There were 15 travellers, who came from foreign countries have tested positive for Covid-19 but none of them had traces of the Omicron variant.

The AP government's Director of Public Health advised the people in a release that people should continue to take precautions and shouldn't fail to follow Covid norms.  

With this case in Andhra Pradesh, the national tally of Omicron variants has reached 35.