Surveillance heightened in Birgunj border point in view of Omicron variant

BIRGUNJ: As India recorded the cases of Omicron variant of COVID-19, officials in Parsa district have increased high surveillance along the Nepal-India border area in Birgunj. Parsa's Chief District Officer (CDO) Umesh Kumar Dhakal was quoted in Rastriya Samachar Samiti as saying that preparations have been made to conduct steps from District COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre after the emergence of the Omicron variant in India. It is said that the administration is preparing an action plan to take precautions considering that the new variant could enter the country. Meanwhile, the officials in Parsa are working to prepare the plans as the district is at high risk of transmission of the new variant due to unrestricted human mobility from both countries through the open border. Two people tested positive for the Omicron variant in Karnataka, India's Union Health Ministry said on Thursday. Around 29 countries reported 373 cases of Omicron variant as of Thursday, December 2, 2021. The new Covid 19 variant was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from South Africa on November 25. As per the WHO, the first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on November 9 this year. On November 26, the WHO named the new Covid 19 variant B.1.1.529, which has been detected in South Africa, as ‘Omicron’. The WHO has classified Omicron as a ‘variant of concern’. Dozens of countries including Nepal have imposed travel restrictions on the southern African nations since the mutation was discovered. The new Omicron coronavirus variant has been confirmed in 23 countries and their number is expected to rise, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said. READ ALSO: 

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