Kerala: Couple from UAE tests positive for Omicron variant of Covid-19

Two travellers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is not listed as a high-risk country by India, were Friday found to be infected with the Omicron variant of Covid-19, taking the total number of such cases in Kerala to seven.

State Health Minister Veena George Friday said the couple, in their sixties and originally from Kerala, reached the state on December 8 and have been under self-observation since then as their country-of-origin was not listed under the high-risk category. “The couple tested positive for Covid-19 on December 11 and their samples were sent for genome sequencing. Passengers who came in close contact with the couple would be observed,” the minister said.

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The minister also said as people from non-risk countries are also testing positive for Omicron, all international travellers reaching Kerala should strictly follow all government protocols. They should remain under self-observation and avoid public places for two weeks, Veena said.

This comes a few days after a passenger from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is also not listed as a high-risk country, turned positive for the Omicron variant.