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Covid: 2 persons from South Africa test positive for delta variant in Bengaluru
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called the new strain of Covid-19 a "variant of concern".
Two persons who reached Bengaluru from South Africa tested positive for delta variant of the coronavirus on Saturday.
Deputy commissioner of Bengaluru rural district K Srinivas said as many as 584 people arrived in Bengaluru on Saturday from 10 "high-risk countries".
"Ninety-four of them came from countries in Africa. Among those, two who returned from South Africa and are Indian nationals have tested positive for Covid-19. The samples were sent for sequencing. We came to know they are positive with the 'delta variant'," he said.
On Friday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) called the new strain of Covid-19 a "variant of concern".
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The first cases of new strain were reported from South Africa. The WHO has named the new strain as Omicron.
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.
Health minister K Sudhakar said, “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.”
Srinivas reviewed the precautionary measures taken at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, after the two persons tested positive during screening.
(With inputs from ANI)
