PATNA: Bihar recorded the first case of Omicron variant of Coronavirus as a 26-year-old man tested positive late on Thursday.
Recently, the victim went to New Delhi to meet his brother, who had returned from abroad.
The additional chief secretary of the health department Sanjay Kumar Singh said the test report of the resident of Patna's Kidwaipuri locality (IAS Colony) confirmed the first case of Omicron in the state. The health department team soon started tracing the people, who had come in contact with the infected man.
Singh said the sample was sent to a Delhi-based laboratory on December 21 after he was found positive for Covid-19. “The genome sequencing test confirmed him to be infected with Omicron, the new variant of coronavirus,” the additional chief secretary said.
Around 800 samples have been sent from Bihar to the Delhi-based NCDB laboratory for genome sequencing after the RT-PCR tests found them positive for Covid-19. The reports are still awaited, the official said, adding the department is closely monitoring the situation.
The government has started genome sequencing test at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) after the first case of Omicron came to light on Thursday. Though the government had provided funds for setting up the laboratory of genome sequencing at the IGIMS, it could not start due to procedural delay.
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Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey said on Friday that CM Nitish Kumar has convened a meeting to assess the situation. The minister, however, described the situation in the state better compared to others. “There is no need to be panic,” he added.
When asked whether schools would be closed, Nitish Kumar said, “The situation in Bihar is not alarming compared to other states. But we are alert and will take appropriate steps at the right time. Some preventive steps have already been taken by the government.”
The state government closed the parks and congregation of people at public places. In addition, separate teams have been set up to undertake a mask checking campaigns. A day earlier, one doctor each tested positive at Patna Medical College and Hospital and IGIMS, taking the toll on the number of active cases in the state to 333, including 158 in Patna.
According to health department data, 60 fresh cases were reported in the state in the last 24 hours. Patna topped the list of the districts hit by coronavirus. The CM, however, admitted that the third wave has already hit the state.