Omicron scare: Karnataka govt says one patient ‘escaped’

• One of the Omicron infected patients in Karnataka escaped, the state govt said on December 3. The 66-year-old South African fled after taking a covid negative certificate from a private lab. The government is also trying to track down 10 South African travellers who reportedly went missing from the airport. The 10 who were reportedly missing switched off their phones and could not be contacted. A top level meeting was held on Omicron in Bengaluru which was attended by several ministers & officials. The world health body has classified omicron as a 'variant of concern'. On Thursday, the health ministry said there is no need to panic but awareness is essential. It also said that no severe symptoms have been noted in the omicron cases detected.