Karnataka reports 10 more Omicron cases including two kids, tally now 76; more curbs likely in state

The cases include international travellers like- a 19-year-old male from the USA, a 40-year old female from Belgium, a 46-year old male from Dubai, two 49-year old females from Dubai.
Representational Image. (File Photo | PTI)
Representational Image. (File Photo | PTI)

BENGALURU: Karnataka has reported 10 new cases of Omicron, taking the total tally to 76. State Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Monday, January 3, 2022, tweeted the information and said that of the 10 new cases, eight are from Bengaluru and two from Dharwad.

A bulletin by the Health Department said two of them are minors and five of them have international travel history to the United States, Belgium and Dubai. All are asymptomatic and have been isolated.

“The 13-year-old is a primary contact of a 19-year-old man who travelled from the US to Bengaluru on December 14 with a negative RT-PCR report and developed mild symptoms 11 days later,” the health department bulletin stated.

The US-returnee tested positive for Covid-19 on December 25 and his genome sequencing results confirmed him to be positive for Omicron on January 2. His three primary contacts have also tested positive for Covid-19.

Also, the two new cases in Dharwad are contacts of a positive patient, who is part of a Covid-19 cluster.

While for two cases- 14 and 53-year old females who are contacts of COVID positive cases- the department said, "they are currently healthy, asymptomatic discharged hence inactive and in home quarantine, as part of recovery."

The primary and secondary contacts of all these cases have been traced and tested.

The Karnataka government is considering more containment measures to control the spread of the virus and the state cabinet is likely to decide in this regard, later this week after consulting experts.

The government has already imposed containment measures like "night curfew" from 10 PM to 5 AM, from December 28 till January 7 morning, to control the spread.

"We are monitoring both COVID and Omicron situation, it is spreading at a very fast phase in the country, in the state and in neighbouring states, so we need to have a discussion with experts. In this regard I will have a discussion with experts tomorrow evening," Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Monday.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, the cabinet during its meeting on Thursday will discuss the situation in the state and the measures that need to be put in place, and decide on certain long term measures.

"Having the experience of managing the earlier two waves, we have already asked the experts to recommend containment measures, with limited impact on daily lives of the people," he further said, calling on the citizens to show self-control by following the COVID guidelines.

Karnataka has been witnessing a surge in COVID cases over the last five days, with daily figures crossing the 1,000 mark.

On the subject of the vaccination drives for 15 to 18-year-olds that began countrywide from Monday, the Chief Minister said he will initiate the same in Karnataka.

"It will take place across districts simultaneously. It will also take place in schools and colleges where they will check identity cards and Aadhar cards," he said. "We are making it a big drive to include young people in the safety zone. I seek the cooperation of young people, parents, teachers and health workers."

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