SURAT: The number of Omicron cases in Gujarat rose to four with Surat reporting the first case of the new Covid-19 variant on Monday.
A 42-year-old diamond businessman from Varachha area, who had travelled to Africa, landed in New Delhi on December 4 but tested negative in the mandatory tests. He reached India after visiting Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
When he was tested again during the quarantine period in the city, he was found Covid-19 positive on December 8 and his samples were sent for genome sequencing at Gandhinagar, which confirmed that he had contracted the new variant.
None of his family members or those who came in his direct contact tested positive.
“The patient is asymptomatic and he is under strict home isolation. He was under isolation at a private hospital after arrival,” said a health official.
The health authorities are likely to shift the patient to hospital after confirmation of the Omicron variant.
“None of his family members have tested positive. The patient will be tested again in two days,” said an officer.
The Surat Municipal Corporation’s health teams have increased surveillance in the area around the patient’s residence on Ashwini Kumar Road in Varachha.
Earlier, three people in Jamnagar, a 72-year-old man and his wife, both who had returned from Zimbabwe, had tested positive for Omicron. The man’s brother-in-law who had gone to receive them in Ahmedabad was also found infected with this variant.
Meanwhile, two more people tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday. These include a 39-year-old woman from Utran village, who had returned from Dubai recently and a 70-year-old man from Rander who has no travel history.
SMC will hold a mega vaccination drive on Tuesday to innoculate one lakh people at 343 centres across the city. Total 5.60 persons are eligible for vaccination at present in the city. Over one lakh edible oil pouches will be gifted to those taking a second dose.
