Amid growing fear of the new Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus, the Health Department has directed the Deputy Commissioners of all the 24 districts in Jharkhand to track and test international passengers who have arrived in the state in the past 14 days, and send the positive RT PCR samples for genome sequencing to Bhubaneswar at the earliest.
The Health Department has shared a list of international travellers with the respective districts and directed district officials to collect swab samples of the said passengers within the next 48 hours – a move aimed at identifying Covid positive persons with international travel history and ensuring genome sequencing of their test samples to ascertain if the new variant has made its way to Jharkhand.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, during a meeting with representatives of all the states and union territories on Tuesday, clarified that the new Omicron variant does not dodge RT PCR and Rapid Antigen Tests. He asked all the states to intensify Covid testing and coordinate with Airport Health Officers to get a list of Covid positive international travellers.
According to a fresh directive from the Department of Health and Family Welfare, screening process of passengers arriving at the Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi has also been intensified. All symptomatic passengers shall be isolated and tested for Covid-19, and their samples will have to be sent for genome sequencing, a directive from the department stated.
Contact tracing of all the international travellers who landed in Jharkhand in the past 14 days should also be done by the concerned districts, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Arun Kumar Singh wrote in his letter to the Deputy Commissioners.
“The experience of second wave (of Covid-19) in the state very well emphasises on the need of keeping critical infrastructure ready,” the directive stated, adding that measures should also be taken to ensure the adherence to Covid-19 protocols and Covid-appropriate behavior among locals.
The districts have also been asked to intensify testing for Covid-19 and speed up the vaccination process. District officials have been directed to identify hotspots and ensure sufficient testing in areas that show a high rate of infection.
The Omicron variant, which first surfaced in South Africa, has already been detected in Belgium, Botswana, Hong Kong, Britain and Israel, sparking a global concern. A case was also reported in Australia on Sunday, indicating that the virus was fast spreading across the globe.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Dr Randeep Guleria on Sunday said that the omicron variant of coronavirus has at least 30 mutations, and it may bypass the immunity provided by vaccines in India.
Health Minister Banna Gupta has already appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately stop international flights from countries where the new Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus has surfaced and prepare a roadmap to tackle the crisis in case the variant finds its way to India.
