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Five Indian states reports Omicron cases, total reaches 21

NEW DELHI, Dec 5 (KUNA) -- Five Indian states including capital New Delhi have so far reported Omicron cases as the total cases of new COVID-19 variant in the country rose to 21. Public Health Ministry in the western Indian state of Maharashtra reported seven fresh Omicron cases in Pune district while another case was reported from Thane district in the state. Northern Indian state of Rajasthan's Jaipur district also reported nine Omicron cases among the returnees of South Africa.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that a patient admitted to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital in the capital had tested positive for the new variant after his return from Tanzania. Earlier, the Indian ministry of health and family welfare had confirmed two Omicron cases in South Indian state of Karnataka as one patient returned from a recent visit to South Africa while the other one was a doctor working in Banglore city with no history of foreign travel. A 72-year-old man from western Indian state of Gujarat who returned to India after living for long in Zimbabwe was also tested positive for Omicron. Most cases reported so far was among people with travel history to African countries including South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Nigeria while one patient returned from Finland. The number of Omicron positive in the country is expected to go up as results of several suspected cases including those of the first and second contacts of people affected by the new variant are awaited. (end) atk.rk