Bengaluru: Two South Africans test positive for COVID-19 as threat of new variant looms

Bengaluru, Nov 27: Two South African nationals who arrived in Bengaluru on Saturday tested positive for Covid-19, but they have been infected by Delta variant and not the new strain Omicron, an official said.

Both the African nationals have been put on quarantine and they are being closely monitored by the authorities, who have sent their samples for further tests to ascertain the variant, said Bengaluru Rural Deputy Commissioner K Srinivas.

"From (November) 1 to 26, a total of 94 people have come from South Africa, out of them, two have tested positive for regular Covid-19. So people need not worry," Bengaluru Rural Deputy Commissioner K Srinivas, under whose jurisdiction Kempegowda International Airport comes, said.

In the last one week, 94 people have come to Bengaluru from Africa and 584 individuals have arrived in the Garden City from 10 high-risk nations, he added.

The new Covid-19 variant, named Omnicron, has become a reason to worry for the world which has been returning to normalcy after being hit by a few waves of the pandemic. The newly-found strain is detected in Africa and the Union Health Ministry has put the countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom, and South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel in the 'at-risk' category.

Many countries have already suspended flights from South Africa.

Noting that ten countries have been identified as high risk, the DC said all those coming from there are made to compulsorily undergo tests, and those tested positive are being quarantined. "Even after testing negative they will have to remain at home and after seven days they will have to undergo a test once again, and after getting a negative report, one can go out," he added.