With no let up in the incidence of Omicron in Maharashtra, a 40-year-old man from Nagpur, who returned to the orange city  from South Africa on December 5, tested positive for the new Covid-19 variant  on Sunday, taking the total number of Omicron cases in the State to 18.

“The man who tested positive for Omicron shows mild symptoms. He is currently in isolation at AIIMS Nagpur. Thirty close contacts of the patients have been traced. All have tested negative,”a senior state public health official said.

The infected person had earlier been diagnosed with Covid-19 on April 11, 2021 but his symptoms were mild and there was no need for hospitalisation. This person has not been vaccinated yet.

Nagpur recorded its first Omicron case on Sunday. Of the total 18 Omicron cases recorded in the state, Pimpri-Chinchwad accounts for a maximum of 10, while there are five cases in Mumbai. The cities of  Kalyan-Dombivali, Pune and  Nagpur have recorded one case each.

Meanwhile, the authorities said the total number of passengers who arrived at Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur airports since December 1 was 77,530 (11,751 from At-risk countries and rest 65,779 from other countries), while passengers whose RT-PC tests have been done are 13,280 (11,751 from high-risk countries and 1529 were other countries). Similarly, RT-PCR positive and samples sent for genomic sequencing was 30 (22 at-risk countries and eight from other countries).    

Additionally, field surveillance of all international passengers who have arrived since 1st November is underway.

“Through airport and field surveillance, 107 samples have been sent for genomic sequencing. The results of 26 are awaited so far,” the daily health bulletin said.