Andhra Pradesh identified 10 more cases of infection due to the Omicron variant of the novel Coronavirus on Wednesday. For the first time, three contacts of foreign returnees who were infected with the Omicron variant also contracted the virus.
So far, the State reported 16 cases of Omicron infection. According to Public Health and Family Welfare Director G. Hymavathi, of the 10 cases, three were reported in East Godavari, including a 50-year-old man who returned from Saudi Arabia on December 14, and two of his contacts.
In Anantapur, a 22-year-old man who returned from the U.S. and his contact, a 17-year-old girl, were infected.
Two UAE returnees in Kurnool, one Nigeria returnee in Guntur, one Kuwait returnee in West Godavari and one U.S. returnee in Chittoor were infected. They arrived between December 14 and December 21.
Dr. Hymavathi said that all the infected persons were healthy and were isolated, their contacts were traced and tested and positive samples were sent for genome sequencing.
COVID cases
Meanwhile, the State reported no death due to COVID and 162 infections in the past day taking the tally to 20,76,849. The number of recoveries increased to 20,61,308 with 186 more recoveries in the past day. The death toll remains at 14,492.
Earlier, cases of Omicron infection among Kenya, Ireland, Kuwait, UAE, South Africa and U.K. returnees were reported in Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, Chittoor, Prakasam and Anantapur districts.
