2 foreign nationals test positive for Omicron in Telangana

Two foreign nationals who arrived here from abroad have tested positive for the new coronavirus variant, Omicron, a health official said on Wednesday.

A 24-year-old woman from Kenya and a 23-year-old man from Somalia landed in the city on December 12, Telangana Director of Public Health G Srinivasa Rao told reporters in Hyderabad.

They tested positive for Omicron on Tuesday night during genome sequencing.

However, both are asymptomatic, Rao said.

Though they did not come from 'at risk' countries, their samples were sent for genome sequencing as per protocols.

International passengers arriving from 11 countries that have been declared "at risk," are being subjected to RT-PCR tests.

The two close contacts of the Kenyan woman have been identified and their samples sent for COVID-19 testing.

She was admitted to the state-run Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) in the city while the Somalian national would also be referred to TIMS.

The senior health official appealed to the people to strictly follow COVID-appropriate behaviour to prevent the spread of infection.

The state government is gearing up for any possible threat of another wave, he said adding the surveillance system at the international airport here would be further strengthened.

He warned of action against those spreading false information on social media vis-a-vis the virus.

Noting that Omicron variant may be airborne, Rao stressed on the need to wear masks and follow other precautions against COVID-19.

The official said there is no community transmission of Omicron in Telangana so far.