The samples of the South Africa returnee has been sent to a genome sequencing lab to test if he is carrying the newly detected COVID-19 variant, Omicron, which was initially detected in South Africa. The man had travelled recently travelled to Mumbai after arriving in Delhi from South Africa on November 24. This case has intensified the fear of the spread of the new deadly Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the country. Till now, a few cases of the new COVID-19 variant have been reported in several parts of the world, such as South Africa, Botswana, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. The Centre has issued several guidelines related to international travel for states and UTs to follow amid the fear regarding the spread of the Omicron variant.

Source: dna November 29, 2021 03:25 UTC