Omicron reaches Mangaluru: At least 5 local transmission cases confirmed

Mangaluru: At least 5 persons were found to be infected by the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in Dakshina Kannada district.

In a tweet on Saturday, State Health Minister announced that two cluster outbreaks of COVID have been reported from two educational institutions in Dakshina Kannada today. “Cluster 1: 14 cases (of which 4 are Omicron)… Cluster 2: 19 cases (1 is Omicron),” the tweet read.

He also said that “A traveller from UK has also tested positive for #Omicron.”

Health officials said that the samples from cluster 1 were sent for genomic sequencing on December 10. The report which was received today found 4 samples to be of the Omicron variant. All students were screened and are reportedly in good health.

The second cluster was reported on December 9 at a nursing college where 19 cases were reported. Their samples were also sent for genomic sequencing and one of them was confirmed for Omicron. She is also in good health, the official added.

None in these clusters have international travel history, and the officials are tracing the primary and secondary contacts.

This takes the state’s tally of Omicron cases to fourteen.