Karnataka CM Bommai to chair high-level meet on Omicron variant today, new SOPs likely soon
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai
After two cases of COVID-19 new variant 'Omicron' were reported from Karnataka, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said detailed SOPs and guidelines will be soon rolled out after a meeting with experts and senior officials scheduled today. "I am getting all the details from the lab. Once I get the details, contact tracing of all the people will start. That's why we have got an elaborate plan. New SOPs have to be formed which will be done after I have a meeting with experts at 1 pm," he said in Delhi on Friday.
"I have spoken to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and he said he will come back to me with reports and some guidelines," he added. "I have instructed our Health Minister and the Chief Secretary to obtain the detailed report. An emergency meeting has been convened tomorrow with experts and senior officers," he had said earlier.
The Centre on Thursday informed that two people have tested positive for the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in Karnataka. A 46-year-old male and a 66-year-old male were those who contracted the variant.
A new variant of COVID-19 was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from South Africa on November 25. As per the WHO, the first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on November 9 this year. On November 26, the WHO named the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, which has been detected in South Africa, as 'Omicron'. The WHO has classified Omicron as a 'variant of concern'.
Dozens of countries have imposed travel restrictions on the southern African nations since the mutation was discovered. The new Omicron coronavirus variant has been confirmed in 23 countries and their number is expected to rise, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said.
India has also added several countries to the list from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in the country, including post-arrival testing for infection.