​Omicron invades MP; 8 foreign returnees test positive in Indore on Monday

Omicron cases in India have exceeded the 500 mark and Madhya Pradesh is being reported as the latest entry in the list of contributors to this tally. The first-ever cases of the 'variant of concern' were identified in Indore on Monday, when as many as 8 foreign returnees confirmed Omicron positive here. Notably, 6 of these travellers have already been discharged after recovery, while the remaining 2 are still undergoing treatment.

MP confirms Omicron presence in the state

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In a sampling conducted between December 17 and 21 for 3,000 foreign returnees in Indore, around 26 tested positive for coronavirus. These cases were further investigated for Omicron infection, where the reports retrieved on Monday identify 8 such cases in Indore. This is the first time that the Madhya Pradesh Government has officially confirmed the presence of Omicron strain in the state.

As many as 5 patients who tested Omicron positive in Indore were travelling from destinations marked in India's list of 'at-risk' countries. These included 2 travellers each from the United Kingdom and Tanzania and 1 from Ghana. The remaining 3 patients had a US travel history.

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The tally consists of 2 men aged 20 and 30 years, who came from New York (US) on December 14 and 19 respectively, and a 23-year-old woman who arrived from London on December 14. The list further includes 2 more women aged 33 and 26 who returned from Tanzania on December 19, a 33-year-old woman who returned from Ghana on December 17, and 2 men aged 26 and 31 years, who arrived from Dubai on December 13 and 18 respectively, health officials informed.

The state has already imposed a 6-hour night curfew, from 11 PM and 5 AM, in view of the rising COVID threat. More restrictions are likely in the coming days across all districts, especially in Indore, given the sensitive pandemic situation.