Odisha: 4 returnees from Omicron ‘at-risk’ countries test COVID positive

Bhubaneswar: Four persons, who returned to Odisha from Omicron ‘at-risk’ countries recently have tested positive for COVID-19 so far, informed Director of Public Health Niranjan Mishra here today.

Briefing mediapersons, the senior health official said total 982 persons have returned to the state from at-risk countries till the evening of December 7. And, four of them have been found positive for COVID-19. Their samples have been sent for genome sequencing.

Denying media reports suggesting that few returnees from ‘at-risk’ countries are untraceable in the state, he said, “there is nothin to panic. We are trying to reach out to them. Few of them are not picking up phone calls. However, health workers have been asked to visit door-to-door to trace the returnees. ”

Also Read: Omicron: 40% travellers, who came from ‘at-risk’ countries, untraceable in Odisha

The official further said the state Government has learnt a lot from the first and second waves of pandemic. Hence, it is fully ready to tackle any kind eventuality if the third wave arrives, he asserted.

Last week, the country reported two Omicron cases for the first time from Karnataka. Later, two more cases were detected from Gujarat and Maharashtra. On Sunday, Delhi reported its first Omicron case.

In view of the situation, the state Government has urged the Centre to provide a complete list of foreign travellers visiting the state for carrying out contact tracing to prevent spread of ‘most contagious’ variant of COVID-19.