Six returnees from 'at risk' countries test Covid positive in Odisha

The Covid-infected persons had returned from Dubai, Uganda and Saudi Arabia. Their samples have been sent for genome sequencing. 
Image used for representation. (File Photo)
Image used for representation. (File Photo)

BHUBANESWAR: Amid the threat over super mutant variant Omicron, six foreign returnees tested positive for Covid-19 in Odisha after their arrival since November 26, the day WHO announced it as a ‘variant of concern’.

Official sources on Monday said none of the six international travellers was from South Africa where the new variant was sequenced first. The persons who tested positive had returned from Dubai, Uganda and Saudi Arabia.

The State government has sent a total of 260 Covid positive samples, including that of the six returnees, from 13 districts to the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Bhubaneswar, for genome sequencing. The sequencing data is awaited.

ILS Director Dr Ajay Parida said the samples tested positive will undergo RT-PCR tests once again to ensure there is no false positive. “The Covid-19 positive sample having CT value of below 28 will be sequenced to ascertain the variants. The result is expected in the next couple of days,” he said.

Surveillance on travellers from overseas has been intensified across the State after the detection of Omicron variant in 21 samples from five States/UTs -- Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Delhi.

However, the health officials are in a tight spot as more than 300 travellers of the 800-odd people, who had recently returned from ‘at risk’ countries like South Africa, the UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Hong Kong and Singapore are untraceable after their arrival in Odisha.

Director of Public Health Dr Niranjan Mishra said around 40% of the international travellers who arrived in Odisha after November 26 are not cooperating with the health officials engaged to track them and arrange their testing on the eighth day of their arrival.

“While some of the mobile numbers of the foreign returnees are found switched off, some of them have entered the wrong addresses and contact numbers in the Air Suvidha portal. Some others claimed to have moved to other cities. Districts have been asked to send a list of foreign returnees tested positive so far,” he said.

The returnees have been warned of action if they do not cooperate. The districts and municipal corporations have been directed to take all required measures to trace the returnees, who went missing after arriving in the State.

Meanwhile, the State witnessed a significant drop in new cases as only 105 people from 15 districts tested positive and one patient succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours. This is the lowest single-day infection in the last eight months.

Fifteen districts did not report any new cases. The fresh cases included 19 of 0-18 years age group pushing the active cases to 2205. As many as 50,267 samples were tested across the State during the period. Nine districts have less than 10 active cases each.

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