First three Omicron cases confirmed in Jammu

Jammu, Dec 21: Three people have tested positive for the Omicron variant of COVID-19 here, the first such cases detected in Jammu and Kashmir, the health and medical education department said on Tuesday. Officials said the three have no foreign history and their condition is “stable”.

"Three Omicron cases confirmed by NCDC, Delhi from a cluster in Jammu. Sample taken on 30th November. RTPCR testing of the entire locality ordered," the department wrote on its official Twitter handle. It asked people to observe COVID-appropriate behaviour for their safety.

Principal Government Medical College, Jammu, Shashi Sudan said two of the patients were from Talab Tiloo and another is a resident of Ban Talab area in Jammu.

"The condition of all the three patients is stable," she said, adding that they have no travel history abroad. The officials said all the close contacts of the three Omicron patients were identified and tested over the past three weeks.

Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday recorded 104 fresh COVID cases, taking the infection tally to 3,40,036, while one fresh fatality during the past 24 hours due to the virus has pushed the death toll to 4,514. Of the fresh cases, 26 were from Jammu division and 78 from Kashmir division of the Union Territory, the officials said.