Bhubaneswar: Omicron cases in India are increasing by leaps and bounds. On Sunday alone, 17 cases of the new coronavirus variant were detected in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Delhi to take the total number in India to 21.
Like every other state, Odisha is on high alert. But the biggest problem being faced by the states is to trace travellers from overseas.
The state’s Health department has informed that 40% of travellers who have arrived in Odisha recently from 8 ‘at-risk countries’ are yet to be traced.
Some of those travellers have entered the wrong addresses and contact numbers in the Air Suvidha portal. A similar predicament is being faced in states like Karnataka.
The one silver lining is that none of those identified and traced in Odisha has tested COVID-19, added Health department.
Health Minister Naba Das said that discussion regarding the emerging Omicron threat is underway and there is no reason to worry. “We have urged the Centre for the complete list of foreign travellers visiting Odisha to carry out their contact tracing to prevent the spread of ‘most contagious’ variant in the state,” he said.
He advised people to strictly follow Covid guidelines and get themselves vaccinated.
