New Delhi: Two South African nationals have tested positive for Covid-19 at Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore, causing panic among health officials over the new Omicron variant of the deadly virus.
Bengaluru Rural Deputy Commissioner K Srinivas said on Saturday that so far 584 people have arrived here from 10 “high risk” countries, and up to 94 people have come from South Africa as far as now.
Speaking about Covid patients from South Africa, he said further test reports would determine if they are infected with the Omicron variant. It will take another 48 hours for test results to arrive, the health ministry said.
Both have been sent to quarantine centers and they will remain there until their test results confirm the new variant.
He also traveled to Bengaluru airport to inspect the safety and precautionary measures taken by authorities regarding the examination of international passengers arriving from high-risk countries where the Omicron variant has been detected.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka government issuing strict guidelines for international travelers from countries affected by Omicron, said they must be tested upon arrival. The state government has also made quarantine mandatory for international travelers from these countries.
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