A 32-year-old resident of Dombivli in Mumbai, who arrived from South Africa via Delhi on November 24, tested positive upon arrival, though health officials are yet to ascertain if he is infected with the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
“The passenger travelled from Cape Town to Delhi via Dubai. He gave a sample in Delhi and was allowed to board the connecting flight to Mumbai. On arrival in Mumbai, he was found to be positive.
He is asymptomatic and had home quarantined himself. Later, the corporation quarantined him in an institution,” said Pratibha Panpatil, Chief Medical Officer of the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC).
KDMC health officials said they have alerted the airport authorities and efforts are on to locate the man’s co-passengers.
Dr Pradeep Vyas, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) said, “We have sent his samples for genome sequencing to find out if he is carrying the Omicron varint.”
According to the Centre’s November 11 guidelines for international passengers, samples for RT-PCR tests are to be submitted on landing, after which passengers are allowed to leave the airport.
Passengers are to follow home quarantine for seven days, with a mandatory retest on the eight day.
BMC has begun contacting 466 passengers who arrived in the city :
Amid rising worries over the Omicron variant, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has begun contacting 466 passengers who arrived in the city over the last 15 days.
The “countries of concern”, including South Africa, and will take swab samples from them for RT-PCR tests. Officials said that 97 of the 466 passengers who arrived in Mumbai are residents of the city.
The civic body is individually contacting all passengers for their health updates.
“The passengers who live in Mumbai don’t have any symptoms. All are quarantined at home. We will run RT-PCR tests on them on Monday,” said BMC Additional Commissioner Suresh Kakani.