21 Contacts Of 2 Patients With Omicron Variant In Odisha Traced

Bhubaneswar: Even as two foreign returnees to Odisha were detected with the Omicron variant, director, Public Health Niranjan Mishra said there was no need for panic and their contact tracing has been launched.

Speaking to media persons, here on Tuesday, Mishra said total 21 contact persons of the two Omicron patients – one from Nigeria and the other from Qatar – have been traced. While the Nigeria returnee was in contact with 11 persons and the Qatar returnee had 10 contacts.

He said on the instruction of the Centre, the state government launched surveillance of travellers from outside countries from November 21. Of around 8,800 travellers who have come to the state from abroad till date, 1600 are from ‘at-risk’ countries.

Those coming from ‘at risk’ countries underwent RT-PCR test. After 12 of them tested positive for COVID, their samples were sent for genome sequencing, he added.

Mishra further said while four patients were found not infected with the Omicron variant in the first phase, two were found infected with the Omicron in the second phase.

Stating that their condition was stable, Mishra said they have been kept under isolation.

Also Read: Odisha Reports First Cases Of Omicron: Variant Found In Two COVID Patients