Bhubaneswar: Two minor girls, returned from Nigeria, have tested Omicron positive, taking the total number of Omicron cases in the State to 4.
The minor girls (siblings) of one family have tested Omicron positive following genome sequencing conducted by Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Bhubaneswar. One is 11 years old while another is 15 years, said State Director Public Health, Niranjan Mishra told reporters here Thursday.
Earlier on December 21, the state had reported its first two Omicron cases among returnees from Nigeria and Qatar. The patients, aged 43 and 41, hail from Khurda and Jagatsinghpur districts.
The two girls along with their parents had returned from Nigeria on December 13, and were in isolation as per the norms, he said, adding, “They are asymptomatic, undergoing treatment in a hospital in Bhubaneswar and their health condition is stable.”
However, parents of the siblings have tested negative. Contact tracing of the new cases has been done, informed Mishra.
Earlier, two Omicron cases have been detected in Odisha. While one person returned from Nigeria, another returned from Qatar.
Director health service Bijay Mohapatra said that the State government has expedited surveillance and increased testing to 70,000 per day. All the district administrations have been directed to ramp up testing and vaccination dive, he stated.
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner SK Singh said that at least six micro-containment zones have been declared in the state capital, and Christmas and New Year celebrations will be allowed with adherence to Covid-19 guidelines.
Meanwhile, Odisha recorded 155 new Covid cases from 17 districts and one death in the last 24 hours taking the active cases to 1784 and death toll to 8448.avoid movement during night especially through two wheelers/ open vehicles.