The first documented case of COVID-19 due to Omicron virus variant in Kerala has been confirmed in a person who flew in from the U.K. to Kochi.
Confirming this, Health Minister Veena George said here on Sunday that the Kochi native had flown in from the U.K. via Abu Dhabi by an Etihaad flight (Etihaad EY 280) on December 6.
The 39-year-old and his wife had tested negative for COVID-19 on arrival at the airport. However, after he developed slight symptoms, he was tested again on December 8 and was confirmed COVID-19-positive. The sample was then sent for genomic analysis to the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, which confirmed the presence of Omicron variant.
The man has been isolated in a separate ward and is being provided care. His only local contact seems to be his wife’s mother and the taxi driver who drove him home from the airport.
Wife, her mother positive
The wife and her mother have subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 and are also under separate care. The condition of all three persons are stable and satisfactory.
Ms. George said that all 149 passengers in the said flight have been alerted and that the passengers in seats 26 to 32, who sat near the Kochi native are being treated as high-risk. All these persons will quarantine themselves and will be subjected to RT-PCR tests on day eight (December 13) if they develop symptoms.
She said the Health department has been taking all precautions as per the protocols advised by the Centre and that while heightened vigil was required to prevent onward transmission, there was no situation which warranted panic amongst the public.
All COVID-19 protocols which were in place in the State will continue. These would apply in cases of COVID-19 due to Omicron also.
