Omicron in Karnataka: 12 new cases reported in the state, tally rises to 31

Bengaluru, Dec 23: Karnataka reported 12 new cases of Omicron variant of Covid-19 on Thursday. Thus taking the total tally to 31.

As per Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar, seven of them are women, including two girls aged nine and 11.

"12 new cases of Omicron have been confirmed in Karnataka today taking the tally to 31," Sudhakar said. While 10 cases have been reported from Bengaluru, one each is from Mysuru and Mangaluru. Among the Bengaluru cases, five had a travel history to the United Kingdom and one each had come from Denmark and Nigeria.

The state health department said that the three others from Bengaluru did not have a travel history and the parents and sister of a woman who had returned from United Kingdom on December 12.

They developed symptoms on December 14 and tested positive on December 15. A 27-year-old man from Mangaluru had come from Ghana, while the nine-year-old girl from Mysuru had returned from Switzerland, PTI report adds.

The patients have now been isolated and undergoing treatment. The health department is monitoring the health condition on the primary and secondary contacts. Except for the three from Bengaluru, who were the parents and sister of a UK returnee, the rest are asymptomatic.

Also, all but two girls are vaccinated.

The health department claims that the 49-year-old woman who returned from Denmark had taken two Pfizer vaccine doses and a Moderna booster dose. Another UK returnee, a 42-year-old man had also taken the two shots and a booster dose of AstraZeneca. An 18-year-old woman, who arrived from United Kingdom, had taken only one dose of Covishield.

The Omicron variant was first detected in India in Bengaluru with two people testing positive for it comprising a South African national of Indian origin and a doctor on December 2.