Omicron: Ker Govt urges to exercise caution

The Kerala government on Saturday said a vigil has been sounded in the state in view of the presence of Omicron, a new variant of the coronavirus, reported abroad, but as of now there is no cause for concern in the state.

Health Minister Veena George said the state has taken all precautionary steps as per the guidelines of the Centre and surveillance would be strengthened in all airports. Urging everyone to follow the COVID guidelines strictly, she also said those who have not been vaccinated yet should take the jab at the earliest.

The Health Department conducted review meetings and preventive measures have been strengthened based on that.

According to the central guidelines, all passengers arriving in the country from abroad should undergo an RT-PCR test within 72 hours and upload it in the concerned portal.

Those coming from the countries mentioned in the central guidelines would be closely monitored, the minister said, adding that such people should take the RT-PCR test again at the state airports. The suspected samples of the passengers coming from these countries would be sent for genetic testing for virus variants, she added.