Another South Africa Returnee Tests Covid Positive In Chandigarh, Sample Being Checked For Omicron

A 39-year-old Chandigarh resident who had returned from South Africa a few days ago tested positive for COVID-19. His sample has been sent to Delhi for whole-genome sequencing to check for Omicron.

Travellers wearing PPE amid Omicron variant scare (Getty Images)

New Delhi: While the Omicron variant has raised alarm in India after few foreigners have tested positive for Covid 19 the past few days along with two South Africa returnees, now another traveller from the same country who is a resident of Chandigarh has tested positive for the virus. 

According to a PTI report, a 39-year-old Chandigarh resident who had returned from South Africa a few days ago tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. His sample has been sent to Delhi for whole genome sequencing to check for Omicron.

One of his family members and a domestic help have also been found infected with the virus.

The man had tested COVID-19 negative upon his arrival here on November 21.

He tested positive for coronavirus in a retest on Monday and is being shifted to an institutional quarantine facility.

The B.1.1.529 Covid variant or Omicron , first detected in South Africa last week, was designated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a variant of concern , the health body's top category for worrying coronavirus variants.

In continuation of the earlier press statement, it is hereby informed that the 39-year-old South Africa returnee who was retested today has turned out to be positive for COVID-19. His one family member and a domestic help have also tested positive for COVID-19, the Chandigarh Administration said in a statement.

However, two other family members are reported to be negative while the report of one family member is awaited, they added.

Another statement issued by the administration earlier in the day had said he was home quarantined, dismissing rumours of anyone having tested positive for the new Covid variant Omicron .

South Africa Returnee In Karnataka Infected With Variant Different From Delta

 Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar spoke on Monday about the two people who arrived in Bengaluru recently from South Africa and tested COVID positive. He said that the sample of one of them is ‘different from the Delta variant’.

The minister said that he was not supposed to say anything officially as he was still in touch with the union health ministry and the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) officials, news agency PTI reported.

“There is a delta variant for the past nine months only, but you are saying that one of the samples is Omicron. I cannot say about it officially. I am in touch with the ICMR and central government officials,” Dr Sudhakar said, as quoted by PTI.

He informed that the sample has been sent to ICMR.