Australia-returnee tests Covid positive

Vizianagaram: A 36-year-old woman who returned from Australia tested Covid positive in Garudabilli village in Bondapalli mandal in the district on Wednesday. She came from Australia via Singapore along with her husband on January 1.

The couple tested Covid positive in rapid antigen test conducted in Visakhapatnam airport. Subsequently, airport officials sent their samples to Vijayawada for genome sequencing to know the exact variant as per protocol and alerted the Vizianagaram district officials.

Based on the airport officials' information, Vizianagaram district medial and health officials conducted RT-PCR test for the woman and her husband and immediately sent them for home quarantine. In the result, the woman tested positive in RT-PCR test.

However, her husband tested negative. District officials sounded high alert after news of a suspected new variant made rounds.

District medical and health officer Dr S V Ramana Kumari assured that there was no need to panic in connection with the new cases and infection. Around 80 per cent of the people got vaccinated and nothing to worry, she said. People may get infected with Covid but those who were vaccinated need not panic, she said, adding that people should wear mask and wash their hands frequently.