Karnataka braces for Omicron onslaught

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai signalled Saturday that precautionary measures to control the spread of Covid-19 would be stepped up, amid growing fears of new variant ‘Omicron’ setting off a fresh wave of Covid after it was detected in South Africa.

Screening of international passengers at the airports will be intensified and RT-PCR test reports made compulsory for those arriving from Kerala and Maharashtra with immediate effect.

Two South African passengers who had arrived in Bengaluru on November 20 tested positive for the coronavirus. The samples of both, were sent for genome sequencing ,which confirmed they are infected by Delta Variant, said a top official.

The ‘Omicron’ variant, which scientists say has a high number of mutations, was first detected in South Africa last week. A World Health Organisation (WHO) panel has classified it as a highly transmissible variant of concern, the same category that includes the Delta variant.

The Chief Minister instructed officials to go on an aggressive campaign to trace those who have not taken the second dose of t h e vaccine , while also deciding to make the second dose mandatory and compulsory for those working in all government offices, malls, hotels, cinema halls, zoos, swimming pools and libraries, state Revenue Minister R Ashok said after a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bommai.

“The meeting decided to impose a temporary ban on cultural programmes in schools and colleges,” he added.

The state government has already issued guidelines for those travelling from certain foreign countries, where the new variant is prevalent, aimed at checking its spread.

“We have observed the Covid-19 spread at schools, colleges and hostels in Dharwad, Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru rural areas, and increase in cases in neighbouring Kerala. We have to immediately take precautionary measures to control it, so we came up with new guidelines” Bommai said.