India has not reported any case of the Omicron variant of coronavirus yet but the Karnataka health minister on Monday said the sample of one of the two recent South Africa returnees appears "different from the Delta variant".
Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said that a 63-year-old man tested positive for Covid upon return from South Africa and his report is a bit different. The minister said that he is in touch with the ICMR officials.
The test samples, he said, have been sent for genome sequencing for further examination.
Two South African nationals who arrived in Bengaluru earlier this month tested positive for Covid. One of them was found to be infected with the Delta variant, which is the dominant strain in India.
Dr Sudhakar added that the state government is closely looking at the new 'Omicron' strain that has set off alarm bells across the country.
Dr Sudhakar has now called a meeting with health officials while Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has urged the centre to stop passengers from South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong from entering the country.
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