State may issue new guidelines soon

Amid the rising threat of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 and few travellers in Karnataka testing positive, the Maharashtra Government is expected to come out with new containment guidelines. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray after talks with the Covid Task Force will announce the new guidelines soon, said state relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar on Friday. His statement came a day after the government issued revised guidelines for domestic and international travellers.

Wadettiwar said there is no reason to panic but to ensure safety, citizens should get vaccinated and that the state government is sensitive about the safety of its citizens. However, he did not reveal the nature of possible fresh guidelines.

Task Force member Dr Shashank Joshi said, “Every virus mutates so will SARS-CoV-2 but in evolution the next strain should be less virulent.

What can we do? Don’t panic, get vaccinated, wear N95 or double mask, avoid crowds, follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and focus on ventilation in closed spaces.”

Swabs of 28 persons sent for genome sequencing

State public health minister Rajesh Tope said swab samples of 28 persons, who returned to the state from high-risk countries last month, have been sent for genome sequencing. He added that out of these, nine have already tested positive. According to the minister, about 2,868 persons have returned to the state from various countries between November 10 and November 30 and the state government has so far tested 485 of them.

Tope said the department has yet to establish whether they are carrying the new Omicron variant.