Kolkata: Amidst the rise in Omicron cases in India, the West Bengal government had issued a notification stating that all the passengers travelling from abroad who are Covid positive will have to stay in isolation in state government’s isolation wards and not in home isolation.
“The state government’s isolation centers will be available for those who are travelling from other countries. No home isolation will be allowed for them. Designation authorities will provide specimens collected for genome sequencing to the School of Tropical Medicine (STM). In such cases there will be separate isolation and mixing with other positive cases won’t be allowed,” said the notification.
According to state health department sources, presently there are six suspected cases in the state and genome sequencing reports are awaited by the government.
The state government’s notification further stated that if the genome sequencing test report comes positive for B.1.1.529 (Omicron Variant), then the patient must not be discharged until two successive Covid-19 RT-PCR reports (48 hours apart) becomes negative.
The notification also added that if a passenger who is tested negative initially and undergoes Covid-19 test later and is found positive and has a travel history in the last 14 days from the test from any other country will also be put in isolation in a government hospital.
Dr. Subarna Bhowmick claimed that not just international passengers but domestic flights and also people availing trains should maintain the same protocol.
“The Omicron variant is currently on rise in India. Several states have many Omicron positive patients. So roadways and domestic flights should also maintain the same protocols so as to avoid the spread of the virus,” said Bhowmick.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Union Health Minister and other health officials will hold a meeting at the national capital to discuss ways to tackle the increasing Omicron-affected people in the country.
