Omicron Strain: India Imposes Restrictions In States As New COVID Variant Continues To Surge

India is on alert now and implemented restrictions in many states as COVID-19 new strain named 'omicron' to different countries. Know everything here!

The world was slowly easing into normalcy, but to people's dismay, a new variant of the coronavirus believed to be more dangerous than the previous strains is now wreaking havoc across the globe. Scientists are even speculating that the new variant named 'omicron' could be more dangerous than the delta variant, which continues to be the dominant strain across the world.

It is inspected to be even more transmissible than the delta variant. When compared to other highly transmissible variations, it can increase the likelihood of reinfection, suggesting that persons who have already contracted and recovered from COVID are at risk of contracting the virus again.

India Concerned Over The New COVID Strain

In the wake of widespread concern over the new Omicron form of Covid-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked government officials to reconsider plans to reduce foreign travel restrictions on Saturday. South Africa, where the new variant was discovered first, has been isolated by other countries. This comes just one day after India announced that normal foreign flights will resume on December 15.

PM Modi also requested that plans to relax foreign travel restrictions be reviewed. The Prime Minister emphasised the importance of closely monitoring and testing overseas arrivals, with a particular focus on nations designated as "at risk."

Meanwhile, two travellers from South Africa who arrived in Bengaluru on Saturday tested positive for Covid-19. Both travellers, however, were determined to be infected with the Delta coronavirus strain, not the novel Omicron variant.

States To Take Extreme Precautions In Different Countries

All the things you need to know about international travel after Omicron has been identified in several countries:

1. Amid the new COVID-19 version that has sounded off alarm bells around the world, all international travellers arriving in Mumbai would be required to provide their trip history dating back 15 days, according to the Mumbai civic body. The BMC in a tweet said, "All passengers from South Africa, Hong Kong & Botswana to will be screened & tested, even if they are carrying vaccination certificates or negative RT-PCR test. They will be home isolated & if found positive, a sample will be sent for genome sequencing to check for the new variant. All international passengers to provide travel history dating back 15 days."
2. In terms of India's foreign flight resumption plan, the civil aviation ministry has concluded that there will be no 100 per cent resumption in these "at-risk" countries. In countries with air bubble agreements with New Delhi, India will resume 75 per cent of services and 50 per cent in countries without such agreements.
3. In Karnataka, international arrivals from South Africa, overseas arrivals from South Africa, Botswana, and Hong Kong would be subjected to Covid testing, with those who test positive being placed in 10-day institutional isolation. All visitors from these countries who arrived in the state during the last 15 days will be subjected to the second round of RT-PCR testing.
4. Gujarat has made it necessary for travellers arriving from Europe, the United Kingdom, Brazil, South Africa, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, and Hong Kong must undergo RT-PCR tests. If passengers are not fully vaccinated, all visitors travelling from other countries must take an RT-PCR test at Gujarat's airports.

(with inputs from agencies)