Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said his cabinet will be holding a meeting tomorrow and will come up with new SOPs. This comes after two cases of the new coronavirus variant 'Omicron' were detected in Karnataka.
"We are very cautious. I've discussed this with Union Health Minister (Mansukh Mandaviya). He said he'll give further details (over 2 Omicron cases). Our duty is now to track & trace such strains & their contacts wherever it's found. We're already tracking & tracing international travellers," Bommai said.
"We are holding a meeting tomorrow with all these details. We'll come out with new SOPs as far as Omicron is concerned. We are trying to get the experts' view & Govt of India's guidelines on this," he added.
Speaking to reporters after his meeting with Mansukh Mandaviya, Bommai noted that he also discussed administering booster dose of the vaccine against COVID-19 to health workers.
He said the health minister told him that the Centre is watching the current developments and a decision on administering COVID-19 booster dose to health workers will be taken after discussion with expert committees.
"I discussed two issues. One was about controlling the spread of COVID-19 and the other was about the new variant," the chief minister said.
Meanwhile, as many as three primary contacts and two secondary contacts of the 46-year-old male, who was tested positive for COVID-19 with Omicron variant, were tested positive between November 22 and 25.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has informed that their samples have been sent for genome sequencing and the results are awaited.
According to a statement issued by the BBMP, one of the two patients (who tested positive for Omicron) is a 66-year-old male while the other is a 46-year-old male. The former had returned from South Africa, via Dubai, and was fully vaccinated.
"There were 24 primary contacts of the 66-year-old male. All are asymptomatic, tested and reported negative for the COVID-19," the Bengaluru Municipal Corporation said.
"As many as 13 primary contacts and 205 secondary contacts of the 46-year-old male were tested. Out of which, three primary contacts and two secondary contacts were tested positive between November 22 and 25. All are isolated. Their samples have been sent for genome sequencing, results are awaited," it said.
(With ANI and PTI inputs)
