Meghalaya recorded its first cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, with five people identified as carrying this particular incarnation of the disease.
Informing this today, Director of Health Services, Dr. Aman War said that three Omicron cases were detected in Shillong and two in Ri-Bhoi district.
Dr. War said that three Omicron cases in Shillong were detected in Happy Valley, Langkyrding and Laitumkhrah. They included four males and one female.
The two Omicron cases in Ri-Bhoi district were detected in Saiden village near Nongpoh.
The persons who got the Omicron variant in Shillong had travel history. One had come from the United States and the two others from New Delhi and Assam respectively. Interestingly, the two persons from Ri-Bhoi district who tested positive from the Omicron variant have no travel history.
The five persons had tested positive from Covid-19 few days back. The test reports were sent for genome sequencing to determine the variant. The report of their genome sequencing which was received today confirmed that they had contracted the Omicron variant.
Health officials have carried out contact tracing of the five cases.
With the latest detection, Meghalaya has become the third State in the North East after Manipur and Assam to have confirmed Omicron cases.
Meanwhile, there were a total of 32 new cases of Covid-19 recorded in the state today, the highest daily increase in weeks, along with seven recoveries and one fatality. However, these figures are accurate until 1pm and may not include the data on the Omicron cases.
The lone death was logged in East Khasi Hills, the Health Department informed.
East Khasi Hills accounted for 30 new cases and West Garo Hills two. East Khasi Hills recorded six recoveries and Ri-Bhoi one.
There are now 97 active Covid-19 cases in the state. East Khasi Hills alone accounts for 85 active cases, West Garo Hills eight, Ri-Bhoi two, East Jaiñtia Hills two, North Garo Hills zero, East Garo Hills zero, South West Khasi Hills zero, South Garo Hills zero, South West Garo Hills zero, West Jaiñtia Hills zero and West Khasi Hills zero.
In all, Meghalaya has had 84,881 Covid-19 cases, of which 97 are active, 83,299 have recovered and 1,485 have died from the virus.
