From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI, Dec 27: The Northeast reported its first confirmed case of the ‘variant of concern’, Omicron, from Manipur on Monday.
A 48-year-old man from Imphal West district, with a recent travel history to the East African country of Tanzania, tested positive for the Omicron variant of COVID-19, sources in the Manipur Health department said.
“The person, who had returned to Imphal on December 13, was subsequently kept in isolation. He had tested RT-PCR positive for COVID-19 on the eighth day (December 21). Subsequently his sample was sent for genome sequencing, and today, it has been confirmed that the man has been infected with the Omicron variant,” state Health Services Director, K Rajo Singh said.
The Omicron-infected person, who is reported to be in stable health, is currently undergoing treatment at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) Hospital in Imphal East.
“Three other family members of the infected person tested RT-PCR positive for COVID-19 on December 21 after contact tracing. Their samples have been sent for genome sequencing and we are awaiting the results. They have been kept at an isolation centre in Imphal and their health condition is stable,” Singh said.
With Manipur registering its first case, the number of Omicron cases in India has risen to 579, with Delhi reporting the highest number of 142 cases, followed by 141 in Maharashtra.