Confirmation of Omicron cases in India not unexpected: WHO
Darpan News Desk IANS, 02 Dec, 2021 11:59 AM
New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) The detection of two cases of Omicron, the latest variant of Covid-19, in Karnataka was not unexpected in view of the interconnected world that people live in, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, said on Thursday.
"This emphasised the need for all countries to step up surveillance, to be on alert, and rapidly detect any importance and take measures to curtail further spread of the virus," she said.
The Union Health ministry on Thursday said that two cases of Omicron have been detected in Karnataka.
"Both persons had travelled from South Africa. Their contacts have been identified and are under monitoring," said Balram Bhargava, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (IMRC).
"All Omicron related cases have been found to have mild symptoms so far. No severe symptoms have been noticed in Omicron infection in all such cases, both in the country and abroad," the Health Ministry said.
"WHO commends the countries which have been able to quickly detect and report cases of the new variant of concern," Singh said in a tweet.
She also made it clear that the response measures for all variants of concern, including Omicron, are the same as those for SARS-CoV-2.
Comprehensive and tailored public health and social measures by the government, and strict adherence to the preventive and precautionary measures by individuals is a must for all, she added.
According to the World Health Organization, the overall global risk related to the new Covid variant has been assessed to be very high.
A delegation of Sikh leaders on Tuesday met Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G. Kishan Reddy over the recent incident of forcible religious conversion of two Sikh girls in the Kashmir valley and submitted a memorandum in this regard.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday favoured the need to start breeding crocodiles in the state's rivers, especially the Beas and the Sutlej, as they were found in abundance six decades ago.
Facing massive statewide agitation by farmers over power outages, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday issued directions to ensure eight-hour uninterrupted power supply and to purchase deficient power from outside the state at any cost to prevent any supply disruption in the ongoing sowing season.
Bengaluru City Police Commissioner, Kamal Pant, told reporters that the police teams were forced to open fire after firing warning shots in the air as the accused persons resisted the search teams' efforts to nab them.
On the occasion of Bhagat Kabir Ji Jayanti, the Chief Minister also announced that his government will soon disburse Rs 560 crore to the landless farm labourers under the Debt Waiver Scheme.
