Delhi logs 12 new cases of Omicron; most fully vaccinated, asymptomatic

The doctor said that two Omicron patients are "contacts of those who had tested Covid positive upon arrival at the airport"

Twelve more people tested positive for the new Covid variant Omicron in Delhi on Friday, taking the total to 22, and officials said most of them are "fully vaccinated" and "asymptomatic".

Ten of the 22 patients have been discharged, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said.

A senior doctor at the Lok Nayak Hospital, where a special facility has been set up for isolating and treating suspected Omicron cases, said most of the patients are fully vaccinated and asymptomatic.

"Some of them have mild symptoms such as mild fever, bodyache and sore throat," he said.

The doctor also said that two Omicron patients are "contacts of those who had tested Covid positive upon arrival at the airport".

LNJP's medical director Suresh Kumar said 40 people are currently admitted to the special facility at the Lok Nayak Hospital meant for isolating and treating suspected Omicron cases.

The minister on Thursday had said that many international travellers were turning out Covid positive upon arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

On Tuesday, he had said that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has not spread in the community so far and the situation is under control.

Delhi's first case of the Omicron variant -- a 37-year-old man from Ranchi -- was detected on December 5. He was discharged on Monday.

He had travelled from Tanzania to Doha and from there, to Delhi on a Qatar Airways flight on December 2. He stayed in Johannesburg in South Africa for a week and had mild symptoms.

Under new norms, RT-PCR tests are mandatory for the passengers arriving from the "at-risk" countries and they are allowed to leave the airport only after the results come.

Also, two per cent of the passengers arriving on flights from other countries are being tested randomly.