Karnataka reports five more cases of new COVID-19 variant; state tally now 8

Bengaluru, Dec 16: Five more cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been detected in Karnataka, the state's Health Department said on Thursday. This takes the state's tally of Omicron cases to eight.

"Five more cases of Omicron have been detected in Karnataka today: 19 yr male returning from UK, 36 yr male returning from Delhi, 70 yr female returning from Delhi, 52 yr male returning from Nigeria, 33 yr male returning from South Africa," Health Minister K Sudhakar said in a tweet. Two from Delhi are primary contacts of an Omicron confirmed case there.

All the five were fully vaccinated with two doses of COVID vaccine. Sharing details about the cases, the Health Department however said that the 19-year-old, who travelled from the United Kingdom is a female. "She had tested positive on December 13, when her samples were collected at the Airport here. She is currently at a private hospital, and is asymptomatic and vitals are stable," an official release said, adding that, no primary contacts, as she travelled directly from airport to the hospital.

The 52-Year-old male who had travelled from Nigeria also tested positive for COVID on December 13, on arrival. Since he had a connecting flight to Belagavi in the next two hours he was supposedly given permission, the release said. He is isolated at District Hospital Belagavi and now stable, while his two primary contacts quarantined and tested for RT-PCR.

The 33-year-old male who had arrived in Delhi from South Africa on December 8, further travelled from Delhi - Bengaluru on the same day. Noting that he was tested at Delhi airport and was found negative for Covid-19, it said he isolated himself at home on December 9 and developed mild symptoms on December 10, following which he voluntarily got tested for Covid at a private lab and tested positive on December 11.

"He was shifted to a private hospital for further management. Primary contacts - 4 (All Negative) and Secondary contacts - 25 (All Negative)," it added.

The 70-year-old female had travelled from Delhi on December 3, after attending a wedding. She was subjected to RT-PCR on December 5 as she was a primary contact of an Omicron confirmed case in New Delhi. She tested positive on December 6 with mild symptoms and was shifted to a private hospital for further management, the Health Department release said, adding that "Primary contacts - 3 (2 positive) and Secondary contacts - 2 (negative)."

The 36-year-old male also had travelled from Delhi on December 3, after attending a wedding. He was subjected to RT-PCR on December 5 as he was a primary contact of an Omicron confirmed case in the national capital. He tested positive on December 6 and is asymptomatic, and shifted to a private hospital for treatment. "Primary contacts - 3 (2 positive) and Secondary contacts are Nil."

The country's first two Omicron cases-- a South African national who has left the country, and the other a local person, a Doctor with no travel history, were detected in Karnataka on December 2. A 34-year-old Bengaluru native who returned to the city following a business trip in South Africa had become the third case on December 12.

Noting that till date, a total of eight cases of Omicron were reported in the state, the Health Department said, of the eight cases four pertain to international arrivals from "At-Risk countries'', three have travelled from Delhi and the remaining one case is related to possible contact with a foreigner / international traveler.

Except for one case, where the international traveller went back to South Africa, the remaining confirmed cases were in institutional isolation (at hospital) and were treated as per the Government of India protocol, it said, the current health status of these Omicron affected patients is "good" and no one has serious symptoms.

The department further said the state is committed to implementing the strategy of rigorous screening and testing of all the international arrivals from "At-Risk countries" and follow up on other necessary measures like isolation, quarantine and repeat RT-PCR testing, as per the directives of the union health Ministry.

"Hence the general public should not heed unnecessary rumours or speculations leading to panic. At this juncture, it is imperative to realise the importance of Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) and follow the same, stay fully vaccinated (with both doses) and get tested for COVID whenever one gets symptoms," it added.