The Jharkhand government has intensified screening of interstate travellers amid the growing fear of Omicron variant of coronavirus, a mutated strain that is said to have a higher transmissibility than the Delta Plus variant and is feared to have the ability to bypass the immunity provided by Covid-19 vaccines in the country.
Even though cases of Omicron infection have not been detected in India yet, Health Minister Banna Gupta has said that Jharkhand has not let its guard down. The state, he said, was focusing on intensifying the screening process of interstate travellers at all the railway stations, bus stands, the Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi and entry points to Jharkhand.
Jharkhand does not have direct international air connectivity. However, many travellers from different parts of the world visit Ranchi via Mumbai and New Delhi, which puts the state at the risk of exposure to the new variant of coronavirus if passengers carrying this infection are not stopped at the connecting airports, health officials said.
The Director of Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi, Vinod Sharma said that the screening process was intensified at the airport in the wake of the Omicron variant, and additional manpower was also deployed at the arrival terminal to ensure that no passenger leaves the airport without getting tested for symptoms as well as SARS-CoV-2 infection.
“All the passengers who have not been fully-vaccinated will be tested through RT PCR upon their arrival in Ranchi,” said Sharma, adding that passengers with a history of international travel will be under surveillance.
The Omicron variant, which first surfaced in South Africa, has already been detected in Belgium, Botswana, Hong Kong, Britain and Israel, sparking global concern. A case was also reported in Australia on Sunday, indicating that the virus was fast spreading across the globe.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Dr Randeep Guleria on Sunday said that the omicron variant of coronavirus has at least 30 mutations, and it may bypass the immunity provided by vaccines in India.
Health Minister Banna Gupta has already appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately stop international flights from countries where the new Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus has surfaced and prepare a roadmap to tackle the crisis in case the variant finds its way to India.
“A developing state like Jharkhand is well aware of how devastating the effects of a Covid-19 wave can be. The second wave taught us many lessons the hard way, and we cannot afford to be complacent about this new variant, which is said to have the strength of reducing vaccine efficiency,” said Gupta. The prime minister, Gupta said, should build consensus between all the states and the Centre in a bid to stand united against this new variant of coronavirus.
Expressing concern over this new variant, Gupta admitted that the Delta variant of coronavirus had wreaked havoc in the country, and this new variant may cause even more damage if necessary actions are not taken at the earliest to stop its entry in the country.
