Omicron spreads in India: 11 new cases in Maharashtra; Jammu & Kashmir reports its first cases

Omicron has made an entry in Jammu & Kashmir as well as Odisha, while Maharashtra now has 65 total cases of this new variant of COVID-19

A healthcare worker collects a COVID-19 test swab sample from a man on a Delhi road (Pic: Reuters)

New Delhi: In Maharashtra, 11 more patients have been found to be infected by Omicron. Till date, a total of 65 patients infected with the Omicron variant have been reported in the state. "As reported by the National Institute of Virology, 11 more patients have been found to be infected by Omicron," the health department said. Eight of the new cases came to light following a screening at the Mumbai airport while one case each was found in Navi Mumbai, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and Osmanabad, said an official release. 

Meanwhile, Omicron has made an entry in Jammu & Kashmir as well. Three Omicron cases were confirmed in the Jammu cluster.  It’s the first time that three cases of Covid's new variant, Omicron, have been reported in the Jammu division of J&K.

“Three Omicron cases confirmed by NCDC, Delhi from a cluster in Jammu. Sample taken on 30th November. RTPCR testing of the entire locality. Please observe Covid-appropriate behaviour," Health and Medical Education Department, J&K, tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Odisha also reported its first Omicron cases. Bhubaneswar-based Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) confirmed the existence of the variant in the two patients after conducting the genome sequencing of 12 samples. Both of them have travel history to foreign nations - Nigeria and Qatar, they said. The returnee from the African country is fully vaccinated, and is stable in hospital, Cuttack District COVID-19 Nodal Officer Umesh Ray said. All his contacts have tested negative, he added. The other patient is also stable in the hospital.

Down south in Telangana, four more Omicron cases have been reported on Tuesday (December 21), taking the total number of cases of the new coronavirus variant in the state to 24. Of the four new Omicron cases, three are passengers who arrived at the international airport here from countries other than those declared at risk by the Centre, while one is a contact of a positive case, a state health department bulletin said. It said the outcome of 13 samples is awaited over their Omicron status.

(With inputs from Syed Khalid Hussain Hussain)