Omicron scare: Bengaluru makes RT-PCR, quarantine must for arrivals from affected nations

The health minister further said that he was in touch with the Union ministry of health and family welfare regarding the new strain that has been detected in South Africa, Hong Kong, Israel and Botswana.

In the wake of the new Covid-19 variant 'omicron' that has been detected in South Africa, Bengaluru on Saturday made it mandatory for people arriving from affected countries to take the RT-PCR test upon landing in the city. Home quarantine has also been mandatory for these passengers.

The health minister also requested those who have not yet taken the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to get the same on priority. (ANI photo for representation)

“People coming from these affected countries will take the RT-PCR once they land in Bengaluru. If found positive, they will stay in and around the airport and undergo treatment when required. Home quarantine will be mandatory after their arrival,” state health minister Dr K Sudhakar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

“We came out with six genomic laboratories in the last six months and are in a situation where we can sequence, send samples and understand the progression of the mutation,” he added.

The health minister further said that he was in touch with the Union ministry of health and family welfare regarding the new strain that has been detected in South Africa, Hong Kong, Israel and Botswana. “The variant is very contagious amd has overtaken the Delta variant,” he said.

Sudhakar also requested those who have not yet taken the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to get the same on priority.

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Earlier in the day, Mumbai announced similar precautionary measures, including mandatory quarantine for individuals arriving in the city from South Africa, amid the new variant scare. The samples collected from these people will be sent for genome sequencing, said the city's mayor, Kishori Pednekar.

Omicron was first detected in Botswana in southern Africa on November 9. Since then the variant has been reported in Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has already categorised omicron as 'variant of concern'. It has 32 mutations, more than any other variant of coronavirus. Omicron has twice as many mutations as delta that had wreaked havoc across the globe earlier this year.

During a meeting on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked officials to review the plans to ease international travel restrictions in light of the "emerging new evidence".