HYDERABAD: Telangana recorded two more cases of Omicron on Friday, taking the total number of cases detected in the State to nine. While one patient left for West Bengal, the remaining eight are under isolation in the State.
The major concern is that of the eight cases, six are from countries not categorised as at-risk countries. According to data provided by the Director of Public Health, Telangana, three patients are from Kenya and three others from the UAE — two from Dubai and one from Abu Dhabi. One passenger each from Sudan, Czech Republic and the United Kingdom also tested positive for Omicron
The six Omicron cases from non-risk countries were chanced upon during the two per cent random testing of unvaccinated and partially vaccinated individuals undertaken at the RGI Airport. Among the eight patients being treated in Telangana, six were partially vaccinated or unvaccinated and the remaining two were breakthrough infections in vaccinated individuals.
Speaking to the media, Director of Public Health (DPH) Dr. G Srinivasa Rao said: “We have traced the eight patients. They are all asymptomatic and are in TIMS. These patients have 21 primary contacts, who have also been isolated.”
The DPH also emphasised that no indigenous Omicron cases were reported in the State so far and all eight people who tested positive came from abroad. “The State Health Department has put in place a rigorous checking mechanism. A passenger from the UK tested negative, after which she was sent for home isolation in Hanamkonda. Our teams visited her eight days later, retested her and found that she was Omicron positive. She has now been shifted to TIMS Gachibowli,” he added.