India On Tenterhooks: 4 Travellers From ‘At-Risk’ Nations Test COVID Positive

New Delhi: India is yet to report a COVID-positive case infected by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. But the country is living in trepidation, fearing the worst.

In the latest ‘scare’, four international passengers — three from Amsterdam in The Netherlands and one from London — who arrived at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport from ‘at-risk countries’ on Wednesday tested COVID positive.

All the more reason for concern as new data has suggested that Omicron was present in Europe – specifically The Netherlands – well before it was detected in South Africa.

The four infected passengers have been sent to hospitals for quarantine and treatment, officials said.

“Four of the passengers have tested positive for COVID-19. At present, we are not sure if this is the old or the new variant (Omicron) of the virus. We have sent them for treatment and genome sequencing will be conducted to ascertain the (nature of) infection,” The Indian Express quoted a senior Delhi government officer as saying.

As per Central government guidelines issued on Tuesday, travellers from ‘at-risk’ countries will have to undergo mandatory COVID-19 tests (rapid PCR and RT-PCR), and wait for the reports before leaving the airport.