Omicron: Karnataka orders probe into S African national's report letting him leave India

The Karnataka Government has ordered an investigation to ascertain how 66-year-old COVID variant Omicron positive South African national managed to get negative report within three days. Reportedly, the individual had received negative report from a private lab. The traveller, who arrived in Bengaluru on November 20, tested positive at the airport and stayed at a five-star hotel in central Bengaluru. On November 23, he obtained a negative COVID test report from a private lab and returned to South Africa, via Dubai, on November 27.

Revenue Minister R Ashoka said probe needs to be initiated to see if 'lab tests were accurate or was there any wrongdoing'.

“The person (66-year-old) had isolated at a hotel and he has gone from there (outside the country). First his (COVID test) report came positive and then re-test came negative. Whether there was any mishandling, whether the lab tests were accurate or was there any wrong doing, the police commissioner has been directed to investigate this,” Revenue Minister R Ashoka informed. 

He further expressed doubts over two back to back reports where one is positive and another is negative. 'So we have asked the police commissioner to investigate immediately in coordination with the health department,' he added. The decision was taken after a high-level meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. 

Karnataka Government o trace missing foreign returnees

Responding to the question of 10 South African travellers gone untraceable, Ashoka responded saying: 'It has come out in the media that ten people are untraceable. Officials have been directed to look into it, trace them by tonight and get them tested.' However, Health Minister K Sudhakar has refuted any official information about the reports on 10 travellers being untraceable. 

CM Bommai chairs high-level meeting, issues fresh guidelines

According to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), international travellers have to follow certain restrictions including:

• Submission of a negative RT-PCR report and the test should be conducted within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey.
• The airlines need to inform the passengers originating from the ‘at risk’ countries that they will undergo mandatory testing pot arrival and will be quarantined if the results return positive.
• Mandatory home quarantine for seven days. On the eighth day, they will have to do a re-test. If the results return positive, the samples will be sent for genomic sequencing.
• The contacts of such positive cases should be kept under institutional quarantine or strictly-monitored home quarantine.
• Children under five years of age are exempted from both pre and post-arrival testing. However, if children are found symptomatic they will undergo testing and be treated as per the protocol.

(With inputs from PTI)