Gujarat Man With Omicron Infection "Stable", Says Official

The 72-year-old man who arrived in Gujarat from Zimbabwe and was found positive with the new Covid variant Omicron is in isolation and is stable, Jamnagar's District Collector Dr Sourabh Paridhi confirmed.

"On Nov 28, a 72-year-old man who had arrived from Zimbabwe tested COVID-19 positive. After studying genome sequencing, the Omicron variant was confirmed. The patient is in isolation and is stable. We're following the SOP to tackle the situation," he said at a press conference.

The area of the patient's residence has been declared a micro containment zone, said Manoj Aggarwal, an official of Gujarat's Health and Family Welfare Department.

"A person was found Omicron positive in Jamnagar. We've isolated him and are monitoring him. A micro containment zone has been made where he is living. In the area, we will do the tracing, testing of people," Mr Aggarwal said.

The first cases of Omicron in India were reported from Karnataka. The new variant was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from South Africa on November 25.

As per WHO, the first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on November 9 this year. The WHO has classified it as a "Variant of Concern".