The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Friday said that at least 10 international travellers who arrived in the city from African countries have gone untraceable.
This comes after Karnataka reported two cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus on Thursday, the first in the country.
The health officials are trying to track the foreigners, BBMP Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said. "Tracking process is a continuous process, we will keep doing that. Whoever is not responding over the phone, there is a standard protocol and we will follow that," he said.
"I don't have direct information with me. I request people to be on guard and take safety measures," Gupta added.
Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said, "After Omicron was found in South Africa, 57 passengers landed in Bengaluru. Out of those 57, BBMP was unable to trace the address of 10 passengers."
"Their mobile phones are switched off and they are not available at the address," the minister added.
In the wake of Omicron detection in the state, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will be chairing a meeting with experts, senior Ministers and officials on Friday in the wake of two cases of the new Omicron variant of coronavirus detected in the state, during which new guidelines aimed at controlling its spread is likely to be formulated.
The meeting is scheduled for Friday afternoon after the Chief Minister returns from his Delhi trip.
One of the two patients is a 46-year-old fully vaccinated doctor from Bengaluru, who had no travel history and developed symptoms of fever and body ache on November 21. The other confirmed Omicron patient is a 66-year-old South African national who came to India with a negative Covid report.
State Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar will meet with deans and medical superintendents of government medical colleges today to work out the way ahead. Several clusters of students testing positive have been reported from the state.
Mr Bommai, who met Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday, said, "The minister has said he would give details of the cases. According to preliminary reports, the effect of the variant is not too serious."
Reportedly, the Chief Minister is also exploring the possibility of giving a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to health workers.
The CM on Thursday had met Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and discussed administering a booster dose of the vaccine against Covid-19 to health workers.
(with inputs from sources)
