535 travellers return to city, none +ve for Omicron

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 19

A week after the first international traveller (Italy returnee) coming to Jalandhar tested positive for Covid-19, the district Health Department maintains that the Covid-19 scenario in the district is well monitored and under control. At present, there are no presumptions regarding a dramatic increase in the number of cases in the coming days.

While the Covid supermodel panel has expressed apprehensions of a mild peak in India expected in February in view of Omicron cases, no case has so far been reported in Jalandhar.

While the 32 randomly sampled Covid positive cases earliest tested for variant (genome sequencing) were found positive with the Delta variant, the report of the genome sequencing of the traveller who tested positive about a week ago has not arrived yet.

In total, ever since the Omicron variant surfaced, as many as 535 international travellers have returned to the district of which the samples of as many as 185 have been sent for testing. Of these, only one tested positive and is under quarantine. The family members of the same travellers had tested negative.

Meanwhile, in terms of bed capacity, the Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, has as many as 170 level-2 beds and 56 level-3 beds. The number of level-3 beds will have an addition of 14 after recent additions. The Civil Hospital has 18 ventilators. A PSA oxygen plant, with a capacity to produce 150 cylinders per day, was also set up in the Civil Hospital infrastructure after the second wave of Covid-19.

Speaking about preparations ahead of the predicted February peak of the Omicron variant, Civil Surgeon Ranjit Ghotra said, “The Civil Hospital has adequate bed capacity and there has been some increase after the previous wave too. So far, of the 32 random samples sent for genome sequencing, all tested positive only for the Delta variant. The report of the recently positive traveller is yet expected. The Omicron variant might be more infectious but it is less virulent than the Delta variant. Hence, there is no cause for concern.”

Sources in the Health Department expressed apprehensions that the Omicron variant might already be in Punjab. Notably, gatherings and weddings and crowds in marketplaces continue to thrive even amidst apprehensions of the new variant. A senior doctor said, “NRIs continue to pour in and weddings continue seeing large gatherings with most people without masks. As far as marketplaces are concerned, same is the case. Only airport passengers are being screened. All other modes of transport bring in thousands of travellers every day. So the Omicron variant might already be around. Since it is asymptomatic it is difficult to say. It might cause a marginal peak, otherwise it is less virulent.