Telangana health authorities have decided to enforce mask rules strictly even as the Omicron variant of Covid-19 made entry into the country.
Two Omicron cases were reported from Karnataka on Thursday while in Hyderabad, the samples of a 35-year-old woman were sent for whole genome sequencing to confirm the coronavirus strain.
The woman had arrived in Hyderabad recently on a British Airways flight and has tested positive for Covid-19. She has reportedly been kept under isolation in the government-run Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences at Gachibowli.
Meanwhile, officials said that a fine of Rs 1,000 would be imposed on people found not complying with the mask rule.
“We request the people to carry their Covid-19 vaccine certificates when they are heading out. Health teams would be visiting public places and could randomly ask people for the certificate. We are doing this as a cautionary measure and also to expand public awareness about vaccination benefits (in avoiding another Covid-19 wave). The Omicron variant spread is six times faster than Delta,” said Srinivasa Rao, director, public health, Telangana.
“So far, Omicron variant is not detected in Telangana,” the senior health official clarified even as messages on WhatsApp claimed otherwise.
A cabinet sub-committee was formed in Telangana earlier this week to devise a plan of action to tackle the threat of Omicron variant, while speeding up the vaccination coverage in the state.
At present, Telangana has 3,680 active cases officially, with 189 new Covid-19 cases reported on Thursday.
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