Omicron Scare: More Travellers From At-Risk Nations Test Covid-19 Positive At Delhi, Mumbai Airports

Amid stricter testing of international passengers in wake of Omicron, eight international travellers have tested positive for Covid-19 in Delhi while Mumbai has recorded six.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 2 December 2021 9:04 am

After five international travellers from "at-risk" countries tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival in Maharashtra, four more travellers from affected nations have positive the virus on arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Thursday.

The reports came after the government on Tuesday implemented stricter screening and testing of international passengers from 'at-risk' nations to mitigate a potential Omicron outbreak in the country.

So far, no confirmed cases of Omicron have been reported in India.

Of the 243 people on the Air France flight that landed at Delhi airport around 12 midnight on Thursday, three have tested positive for Covid-19. One more person travelling with 195 others on a flight from London was found to be infected with coronavirus.

Their samples have been sent to the National Centre for Disease Control for genome sequencing to ascertain if they have the new variant, Omicron, which has been classified as ‘variant of concern’ by the World Health Organization.

A total of eight people from “at-risk” countries have tested positive for Covid-19 since stricter norms for international passengers came into effect on Tuesday midnight.

The eight Covid positive travellers and two other passengers who showed “Covid-like symptoms” have been admitted to the Lok Nayak Hospital, where a dedicated ward has been set up for isolating and treating such patients.

According to the Centre, the countries designated as "at-risk" are European countries, including the UK, and South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.

Under the new norms, RT-PCR tests are mandatory for passengers arriving from the "at-risk" countries and they will be allowed to leave the airport only after the results come.

Also, five per cent of the passengers arriving on flights from other countries will be subject to the test randomly.

On Wednesday, four more passengers from 'at-risk' nations tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival at the Chattrapati Shivaji Airport in Mumbai. As per reports, the city currently has five Covid-19 patients from at-risk countries. According to a report in The Indian Express, the four new patients have been shifted to Seven Hills hospital.

(With PTI inputs)