The ‘Omicron’ variant was first detected in South Africa final week. (Representational)
Bengaluru:
The Karnataka authorities has stepped up COVID-19 precautionary measures within the state amid an increase in instances and worries over new pressure ‘Omicron’. Screening of worldwide passengers on the airports might be intensified and RT-PCR assessments will now be obligatory for guests from Maharashtra and Kerala.
The worldwide arrivals from South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong should endure Covid testing and those that check constructive might be positioned below a 10-day institutional isolation mentioned a authorities round. All of the travellers from these nations who entered the state within the final 15 days should endure repeat RT-PCR testing, it mentioned.
The ‘Omicron’ variant, which scientists say has a excessive variety of mutations, was first detected in South Africa final week. A World Well being Organisation (WHO) panel has labeled it as a extremely transmissible variant of concern, the identical class that features the Delta variant.
Two South African passengers who arrived in Bengaluru on November 20 examined constructive for the coronavirus. The samples of each of them have been despatched for genome sequencing which confirmed they’re contaminated by Delta Variant, mentioned a prime official.
The federal government has additionally determined to make second dose obligatory obligatory for these working in authorities places of work, malls, resorts, cinema halls, zoos, swimming swimming pools and libraries, state Income Minister R Ashok mentioned after a high-level assembly chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. “The assembly determined to impose a brief ban on cultural programmes in faculties and faculties,” he added.
Karnataka has requested the Centre to permit the state to manage the booster dose of vaccine to forestall the third wave, knowledgeable the minister.
The state authorities additionally mentioned the scholars from Kerala who have gotten a detrimental RT-PCR check report must get a second check accomplished on the seventh day after the primary report. That is just for these college students who arrived within the state within the final 16 days. The screening course of might be extra intense for the scholars in medical and nursing faculties, it mentioned.
The order comes shut on the heels of a number of latest instances amongst medical college students in Karnataka. Twelve college students of a nursing faculty in Bengaluru examined constructive on Friday at the same time as a medical faculty in Karnataka’s Dharwad was additionally declared a COVID-19 cluster after the variety of college students and employees contaminated with coronavirus went as much as 182 from 66 a day earlier than.
Earlier within the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to as for a proactive strategy and a assessment of plans for alleviating of worldwide journey curbs and urged folks to be extra cautious amid emergence of the brand new variant.
Karnataka reported 402 new COVID-19 instances and 6 deaths on Saturday. The state has 6,611 lively instances of an infection. Karnataka has recorded 29,94,963 infections because the onset of the pandemic final yr. The state has revised its day by day testing goal from 60,000 to 80,000 amid a sudden spike in instances.
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