PANAJI: Three passengers, who arrived in Goa from the United Kingdom on Friday morning, tested positive for coronavirus and their samples were sent for genome sequencing to know whether they are infected with the Omicron variant, a state minister said.
In a tweet, Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Friday said, "Three patients tested positive from a flight that arrived today morning from the UK. Their samples have been sent for genome sequencing, reports awaited."
These three passengers arrived in the state in the 101st flight under the government's Vande Bharat Mission from London's Heathrow Airport, the Goa airport authorities said.
"101st VBM flight arrived from London @HeathrowAirport today morning at Goa Airport. Int'l Arrival pax undergoes thermal screening and complete exit formalities upon arrival. Team Goa striving to ensure for safe and smooth transit of pax," the Goa airport said in a tweet.
Information about the total number of passengers in the flight was not available.
Goa's coronavirus caseload went up by 36 and reached 1,79,601 on Thursday, while three more patients succumbed to the infection in the state, a health department official said.
The death toll increased to 3,485 with the addition of three fresh fatalities, he said.
The number of recovered cases in the state rose to 1,75,724 after 32 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day, the official said.
Goa now has 392 active cases of coronavirus.
"With 2,803 new coronavirus tests, the total number of tests conducted in the state has gone up to 15,88,933," he added.
Goa's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 1,79,601, new cases 36, death toll 3,485, discharged 1,75,724, active cases 392, samples tested till date 15,88,933.
The state will also get a genome sequencing machine free of cost under an international programme dealing with epidemic control and the equipment is likely to become operational by mid-February, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Thursday.
Talking to reporters, he said the coastal state will get the genome sequencing machine funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)'s Reaching Impact, Saturation and Epidemic Control (RISE) programme.
"Under this programme, they (USAID) have decided to give us a genome sequencing machine. It would be operationalised by mid-February (next year)," Rane said.
The minister said the international agency will support the Goa government for a year with their kits and other infrastructure needed to operate the device.
"We have signed an agreement with them for two years on overall cooperation in the health sector," he said.
The US agency will also advice the government on aspects like oxygen management, critical care for paediatric and adult patients, among other things, the minister said.
Rane said the American agency has similar tie-ups with some other states.
Currently, Goa does not have any genome sequencing facility and swab samples related to coronavirus cases are sent out of the state for the process.
Genome sequencing is a technique that helps scientists decipher the genetic information found in the DNA of anything, from viruses to bacteria to plants to animals.
It has become a key tool in the diagnosis of COVID-19 and in understanding the spread and control of the new coronavirus.