Bihar reports first case of Omicron variant; patient recently visited Delhi

An official told news agency PTI on Thursday that the patient is a resident of the state capital of Patna, who recently visited Delhi after he came back to India.

Bihar has reported its first Omicron case in a 26-year-old man as the coronavirus variant continues to spread at an alarming rate across India.

The total number of Omicron cases in India crossed the 1,000-mark on Friday. (Reuters file photo)

An official told news agency PTI on Thursday that the patient is a resident of the state capital of Patna, who recently visited Delhi after he came back to India.

“The patient is a resident of the Kidwaipuri locality in the city. He had visited the national capital last week to meet the relative, who tested positive for Covid-19 a day after he returned to Patna,” Sanjay Kumar Singh, the executive director of state health society, said on Thursday.

Singh added that the relative was found infected with Omicron and the Patna man, who was under home isolation, got his sample collected and sent it for testing.

The official also said the Kidwaipuri locality has been declared a containment zone after the man tested positive for the Omicron variant.

Amid the Omicron threat, the state government ordered the closure of all parks from Friday till Sunday.

"It has been also decided that the New Year celebration will not take place in any park here. The decision has been taken to avoid the crowd on New Year," according to a government order.

Meanwhile, the total number of Omicron cases in India crossed the 1,000-mark on Friday. Of the 1,270 patients, 374 patients have been discharged so far.

(With PTI inputs)