UP issues Omicron rules, makes thermal scanning must for all travelers. Details here

Omicron scare: The Uttar Pradesh government has directed the authorities of railway and bus stations in every district to keep a medical team ready for coronavirus disease sampling.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday issued fresh coronavirus disease (Covid-19)-related curbs in view of rising concerns over Omicron, the highly contagious new variant of the virus that has now held the world, and by extension the country, by storm. According to the new guidelines, all travelers coming to Uttar Pradesh will have to mandatorily undergo thermal scanning. If any of them tests positive for Covid-19, they shall be isolated. The government has directed the authorities of railway and bus stations in every district to keep a medical team ready for coronavirus disease sampling, according to the official order accessed by news agency ANI.

Although no cases of the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, have been reported in the country so far, concerns still run high. 

The new Omicron guidelines issued in Uttar Pradesh require the district collectors and chief medical officers to make personal visits to the airports in their jurisdiction and ensure that all arriving passengers are subjected to thermal scanning. Those who test positive for the virus shall be isolated separately as per prescribed protocol, with authorities initiating contact tracing as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the district collectors of Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad have been asked to coordinate with the Delhi government and issue specific orders in their respective areas for international passengers, the list of which will be provided to the respective medical officers.

Although no cases of the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, have been reported in the country so far, concerns still run high. According to the Union health ministry, six Covid-19 positive cases were reported on Wednesday after screening 3,476 passengers from 11 international flights from ‘at risk’ countries.

Omicron (B.1.1.529), the new variant of the coronavirus, was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from South Africa on November 25. As per the WHO, the first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on November 9 this year. Later last month, the global public health body classified Omicron as a ‘variant of concern’.

The new Omicron coronavirus variant has been confirmed in 23 countries and their number is expected to rise, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said.

Dozens of countries have imposed travel restrictions on the southern African nations since the mutation was discovered. India has also added several countries to the list from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in the country, including post-arrival testing for infection.