First Omicron case detected in Delhi, takes India’s tally to five

India confirmed its fifth case of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 on Sunday as a man who had returned from Tanzania tested positive for the infection in Delhi, ANI reported.

The man had been admitted to the city’s Lok Nayak Hospital, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said.

India’s first case of the Omicron variant had been detected in Karnataka on Friday. After that, one case each was reported from Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa in November and has spread to many other countries. Scientists are studying if the variant is more infectious than Delta or has the potential to evade vaccines.

States in India have stepped up measures to screen travellers coming in from South Africa, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel. They are being tested at airports and asked to quarantine.

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