Four more cases of Omicron detected in Delhi: Health Minister

New Delhi, Dec 16: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Thursday that 10 cases of Omicron have been detected in the capital so far and 40 people are admitted to the special facility at Lok Nayak Hospital meant for isolating and treating suspected cases of the new Covid variant.

Of the 40 people, 38 are COVID-19 positive. "A total of 10 cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in Delhi so far. One of them has been discharged," Jain told reporters. The minister said many international travellers are turning out Covid positive upon arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

"Eight such people were admitted to the hospital today (Thursday)," he said. On Tuesday, Jain had said that the Omicron variant of coronavirus has not spread in the community so far and the situation is under control. The condition of the Omicron-positive patients is stable, he said. Delhi's first patient of the Omicron variant -- a 37-year-old man from Ranchi -- was discharged on Monday after he tested negative for COVID-19 twice, officials said.

He had travelled from Tanzania to Doha and from there, to Delhi on a Qatar Airways flight on December 2. He stayed in Johannesburg in South Africa for a week and had mild symptoms. Under new norms, RT-PCR tests are mandatory for the passengers arriving from the "at-risk" countries and they are allowed to leave the airport only after the results come.

Also, two per cent of the passengers arriving on flights from other countries are being tested randomly. PTI