Omicron threat: Four tested positive for Covid at IGI airport, samples sent for sequencing

Four passengers tested positive for Covid-19 amid the looming threat of new Covid variant on Tuesday night at Indira Gandhi International Airport. They have been admitted to Delhi Government-run Lok Nayak Jai Prakash hospital.

According to a source, the four travellers, who tested positive for Covid-19, were coming from London and Amsterdam and landed at IGI Airport on Tuesday night. Their samples have been sent for the genome sequencing lab attached to the hospital. The travellers have mild symptoms. All are Indian citizens coming from the foreign visit, added the source.

Delhi government-run Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital has been designated to treat patients testing positive for the new Covid-19 variant Omicron. The hospital has been directed by the Delhi government to earmark wards for isolating and treating such patients.

The Delhi Health Department in a statement on Tuesday directed the hospital that no patient with the new variant will be denied admission to hospitals on any ground.

According to the guidelines, a separate isolation unit has to be set up for the patients indicating the presence of Omicron.

“Accordingly, Lok Nayak Hospital is hereby designated as the dedicated hospital which will treat the patients detected with the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. Lok Nayak Hospital will designate one or more separate wards (as per need) for isolating and treating such patients,” the order added.

The World Health Organisation has said that the overall global risk related to the new Covid “Variant of Concern” – Omicron is assessed as very high.