Omicron: 10 more cases confirmed in Chandigarh

Nine people have no travel history, confirming community spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant in Chandigarh

The Omicron variant has been confirmed in 10 more people who had tested positive for Covid-19 between December 21 and January 2 in Chandigarh.

The Omicron variant has been confirmed in 10 more people who had tested positive for Covid between December 21 and January 2 in Chandigarh. (HT Photo/Representative Image)

As many as nine of them have no travel history, while one had returned from Australia, a low-risk country, confirming community spread of the highly infectious variant of concern in Chandigarh.

The samples were among 75 sent for genome sequencing in order to establish the variant. In December, an Italy-returnee and his two family members were found positive for Omicron, which was first detected in South Africa in November last year.

Variants of concern in just 27% samples

“Of the 75 samples, variants of concern were found in only 20. The Omicron variant was found in 10 people, while the other 10 were infected with the Delta variant. The other samples didn’t have variants of concern or were inconsequential,” said Dr Suman Singh, director, health services, Chandigarh.

Dr Singh said the fact that nine out of the 10 Omicron positive people didn’t have any recent international travel history is worrisome. “This indicates that the new variant is highly prevalent in Chandigarh. Since Omicron and Delta variants are spreading in the community, it is believed both of them are leading to the recent Covid-19 surge in the city,” she said.

Delta (B.1.617.2) variant is seen as the major reason behind the second wave in Chandigarh last year. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has warned that the risk related to Omicron (B.1.1.529) strain is “very high”, and it has been driving the recent pandemic surge across the world.