Karnataka witnessed a spike in omicron cases on the last day of the year 2021 with 23 new cases being reported. This took the number of omicron cases in the state to 66. India’s first two cases were reported from Karnataka.
Health and Medical Education Minister Dr.K. Sudhakar, who confirmed the new cases in a tweet, said that of the 23 cases, 19 are international travelers from the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Of these, five are children, including a two-year-old male child, who are not eligible for vaccination. Among others, all except two of whom were vaccinated, one also took a booster shot. Of the 23 infected, only one had taken a single dose.
The new cases include a two-year-old child, who traveled with his parents from Tanzania to Bengaluru on December 12, has 18 primary contacts and is currently in isolation at a private hospital, a 15-year-old boy who had traveled to the US. had flown from to Bengaluru and is currently in isolation at a private hospital and has 18 primary contacts; a 47-year-old man who flew from Nigeria to Bengaluru has been isolated, cured and discharged along with 18 primary contacts, two of whom are COVID-19 positive; A 33-year-old Danish man isolated at a government hospital with 18 primary contacts; A 25-year-old woman, who flew from USA to Bengaluru, is in a private hospital with 18 primary contacts; A 10-year-old girl on a flight from South Africa to Bengaluru has been quarantined at a government hospital with 18 primary contacts and a 25-year-old man whose travel history is being traced and is in isolation in Bihar. Is.
V. Ravi, the nodal officer for genomic confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 in Karnataka, said that 80% of omicron cases are from fully vaccinated individuals. “People should keep in mind that everyone is at risk regardless of vaccination. We are seeing the spread of omicrons mainly in cities where people have become complacent. There is no substitute for responsible behavior and people need to be treated with COVID appropriate behaviour. Must continue to follow,” he said.
Repeat RTPCR only after 10th day
Meanwhile, the state health department has directed all hospitals not to test admitted international travelers before the 10-day deadline mentioned in the discharge policy. A circular stated that patients can be discharged only after ten days from the date of RTPCR positive test and not from the date of onset of symptoms.
“It is observed that international passengers testing positive for COVID on arrival at airports and isolated in various health institutions (both public and private) test for COVID before the 10-day time period mentioned in the leave policy being done. Such tests and the resulting results are of no importance and only create confusion about the date of discharge. Therefore, it is reiterated that the prescribed norms for conducting RTPCR on the prescribed date should be strictly adhered to, before being discharged from the hospitals,” the circular stated.
Meanwhile, Sir CV Raman General Hospital has been converted into a designated COVID hospital.