14 suspected Omicron cases
MUMBAI: Four more Covid-19 pose detected by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) among passengers with international travel history or contacts taking the count to a total of 14 cases of suspected Omicron variant. According to BMC officials, all these samples have been sent for genome sequencing.
On Friday, two passengers and three contacts tested positive, however, one of them was not a resident of Mumbai.
Dr Mangala Gomare, chief of BMC’S health department on Friday, said, “We can confirm that 14 cases have been reported in Mumbai, of which 10 are passengers and four are contacts of these 10 passengers.”
According to BMC officials, the first lot of 350 samples that were sent for genomic sequencing to detect the Omicron variant is expected to be out by Sunday or Monday. The BMC has sent around 350 samples from different categories including international passengers or contacts of passengers from highrisk countries.
Further, according to BMC officials, owing to the outbreak of the Omicron variant, this year it will even appeal to citizens to take darshan online on the 65th death anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar. However, those who have taken both doses of vaccine can go and take darshan physically. Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednkar has appealed that citizens should cooperate with the BMC officials.
The BMC in a statement on Friday said that they have ordered the closure of the Global Vipassana Pagoda at Gorai between December 5 and 7 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. The pagoda is a meditation centre built as a tribute to Lord Gautama Buddha.