Bhubaneswar: As many as 23 more cases of Omicron variant of Covid-19 were detected in Odisha Sunday, the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) in Bhubaneswar informed. With this, the tally of Omicron cases in the state reached 37.
“Detection of the new variant has been duly reported to state Health Department by the ILS. The state had earlier reported two cases of Omicron December 21, two more December 23, another four December 26, one December 29, and five December 30, 2021. The first four Omicron-infected persons had returned from Nigeria and Qatar respectively,” a senior ILS official said.
The Health department is yet to share details of the new 23 Omicron infectees. According to the department, samples of the foreign returnees were sent for genome sequencing at ILS in Bhubaneswar.
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It may be mentioned here that Health Director Bijay Kumar Panigrahi recently informed that surveillance and vaccination drive will be intensified in the state to contain the spread of Covid. The state government wanted as many as 70,000 Covid tests done every day, he informed.
Recently, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also urged the people of the state to remain cautious and not venture out of houses to curb any probable spread of Omicron variant of Covid-19.
PNN