Chennai: Tamilnadu has reported its first case of Omicron variant of Covid. A 47-year-old Chennai man tested positive after returning from Nigeria, said State Health Minister Ma Subramanian.
The patient was not in isolation since he had not travelled from a high risk country. The State was tracking his close contacts.
Subramanian said the sample of the Chennai resident, who had travelled through Doha, was analysed at the State Public Health Laboratory’s genome sequencing facility during which the S-gene dropout was identified. It was sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, which made the confirmation.
Health Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan said the government is ready to face Omicron, and sought cooperation from public.
Government hospitals in TN have been directed to make Covid wards ready, while Collectors have been asked to be on high alert.
‘People should cooperate with government without getting panic about Omicron,’ Radhakrishnan said.
Tamilnadu stepped up surveillance over the last 10 days, the Minister said. At present, 41 persons who had tested positive on arrival were undergoing treatment at hospitals, while three persons were discharged, he said.