Omicron virus variant has been detected in 45 more samples which had tested positive for COVID-19 in the State , taking the total tally of Omicron cases to 152.
Of the 45 new Omicron cases, 16 were reported from Ernakulam, nine from Thiruvananthapuram, six from Thrissur, five from Pathanamthitta, three each from Alappuzha and Kozhikode, two from Malappuram and one case from Wayanad.
The Health Department said that 32 of these cases were reported from the so-called ‘low-risk’ nations, nine from ‘high risk’ nations while four – three at Alappuzha and one case at Kozhikode -- were contact cases.
Of the total 152 cases of Omicron in Kerala, 18 cases have so far been confirmed as contact cases. While 50 cases were from ‘high risk’ nations, 84 were from ‘low risk’ nations.
