TIRUPATI: Andhra Pradesh reported its second case of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 on Wednesday. Health Department officials said, a 39-year-old foreign traveller from Kenya, who arrived at Tirupati on December 12, tested positive for the new variant.
The individual first arrived on December 10 at the Chennai airport where her RT-PCR report was negative. She then reached Tirupati on Dec. 12. A second test at this airport showed her to be Covid-19 positive.
Her swab sample was sent to CCMB (Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology), Hyderabad for genome sequencing and the result declared as Omicron positive on Wednesday. She is healthy and in institutional quarantine under the close observation of the health department. Six of her family members were tested and found negative for RT-PCR, according to Director of Public Health, AP.
Health department officials said this is the second case of Omicron identified in Andhra Pradesh. So far, a total of 45 foreign travellers and 9 contacts were found Covid-19 RT-PCR positive and all the samples were sent to CCMB, Hyderabad for Genome sequencing.
The health department advised public not to be panic and believe any rumours but continue to take precautions and follow social distancing, wearing of a mask, washing hands regularly.
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