WHO has warned about new variant of Omicron: Health Minister Dr Sudhakar

Bengaluru: The World Health Organization has warned about the new variant of Omicron, and the government is keeping abreast with the latest developments related to COVID, said Karnataka Health Minister Dr. K Sudhakar on Monday.

Speaking to reporters, he said the mask mandate has already been revoked in three states in India. However, “we (Karnataka government) have not canceled the order for the wearing a face mask in public places. Consultations on revoking compulsory masks in Karnataka are ongoing,” he said and added that the final decision on the matter will soon be taken jointly by the Covid Task Force and Chief Minister.

Most of the public isn’t wearing face masks, but the government is showing leniency considering the present circumstances, he said.

Further, the health minister said that decision on genomic sequencing of COVID test samples will be taken after discussions with Indian Council For Medical Research (ICMR).