Omicron: Health Min reviews testing facilities for passengers from 'at-risk' countries

Amid Omicron variant scare affecting  country's battle against COVID-19, on December 5, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reviewed RTPCR testing facilities for passengers coming from 'at-risk' countries at Indira Gandhi International Airport in person. Following visit, he mentioned that 35 rapid RTPCR testing devices are operating within international arrival at Terminal III of Delhi airport. 

"Reviewed RT-PCR testing facilities for passengers coming from at-risk countries at IGI airport, New Delhi. 35 rapid RT-PCR testing machines are functional within Terminal -3,"  Health Minister shared on Twitter. 

"With this, passengers screening & testing time can be reduced to even 30 minutes," he ded. 

Omicron scare looms across India as 21 cases reported

So far, India has identified 21 Omicron cases across four states and one UT. On December 2, two people in Karnataka tested positive with Omicron strain of COVID-19, which was first case documented in India. country's third and fourth Omicron cases were reported two days later, in Gujarat and Maharashtra, respectively.

India's first incident of latest strain was discovered today in national capital, while anor seven cases were discovered in Maharashtra. In Rajasthan's Jaipur, nine persons tested positive for variant, pushing total Omicron cases in country to 21. Four members of a family who recently returned from South Africa are among nine people who tested positive in Jaipur.

Nine people have been detected with variant in Rajasthan's capital, Jaipur, seven in Maharashtra's Pune area, and a 37-year-old fully vaccinated man who arrived in Delhi from Tanzania, bringing total number of people killed in India to 21. majority of persons who tested positive h recently returned from Africa or h come into contact with such people.

Notably, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated that country has reported 8,306 new COVID-19 cases and 8,834 recoveries in last 24 hours. active caselo currently stands at 98,416 which is  lowest in 552 days. Also, on December 5 country achieved a notable milestone as 50% of country's eligible population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.