Chennai
At least eight more international travellers to Tamil Nadu tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. Earlier, three international passengers from South Africa had tested positive in Chidambaram. The samples of these passengers have been sent for genomic sequencing and reports are awaited.
Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Sunday said there are 22 active cases of Omicron after 12 of them were discharged post-treatment. More people are expected to be discharged soon.
Chennai has the highest number of 12 Omicron cases. Of the 34 cases in Tamil Nadu, six are passengers and contacts from at-risk countries and 25 from non-risk. A senior official said there are three Omicron cases where the source of infection is unrecognised.
So far, 158 international passengers, including the contacts of those testing positive for COVID-19 and Omicron have tested positive. Of the 158 cases, 74 are from non-risk countries and 84 from at-risk countries.
There are a total of 86 people who have been detected with S-gene drop, including 38 people from at-risk countries and 48 from non-risk countries. The reports of 13 samples that reported S-gene drop is awaited and new COVID-19 cases are being analysed for genomic sequencing. As many as 19,382 people have been tested using RT-PCR in the State upon arrival.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister MK Stalin inspected the Oxygen Production Unit, along with 136-bed Omicron ward including 50-bed ICU at RGGGH on Sunday. The CM also visited the Emergency Control Room and State Vaccine Centre in DMS.
As a precautionary measure, 1.15 lakh beds have been prepared in government and private hospitals to prevent the spread of Omicron and the health department has been instructed to keep 50,000 beds ready in the temporary Government Special Centres.
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