The new variant 'Omicron' of Corona, found in South Africa, has again created panic among people in many parts of the world. This variant has led to nations imposing restrictions on travel. The WHO claims that the Omicron variant is spreading faster than the Delta variant. Considering the seriousness of this variant, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the health department held a meeting with the state task force, district collector and concerned officials. After that, Health Minister Rajesh Tope gave important information.
A large number of people from abroad have started coming to Mumbai and other places. Many of them land elsewhere in the country and travel by domestic airlines, roads and railways. If one of them carries the virus, others may be at greater risk. Therefore, it is essential to check such passengers and keep an eye on them. The health minister said there was an urgent need to take precautions as the infection rate of Omicron was five times higher.
The names of the 13 most critical countries in the world will be listed and passengers arriving in the state from these countries will be quarantined. Health Minister Rajesh Tope told the media that people from these 13 countries would now be forcibly quarantined at international airports like Pune, Nagpur and Mumbai. Also, these passengers will be tested for RTPCR, the second time after 8 days. Passengers traveling at domestic airports will also be screened. They will also be examined for a 48-hour negative test report, Tope said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the Omicron variant is transmitting faster than the Delta variant. Further study on this variant is underway. If any information comes to light then decisions will be taken based on that information. We are vigilant. It is mandatory for passengers coming from South Africa to have a negative RTPCR test 72 hours in advance. These passengers will be rigorously screened and tested. But we have not yet banned flights from this country. Therefore, we are paying attention to the decision of the Central Government. We have also written a letter to the Central Government informing about this, informed Rajesh Tope.