Reports of 12 suspected patients of Omicron variant of COVID-19 expected by tomorrow: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain

New Delhi [India], December 4 (ANI): Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Saturday said that the genome sequencing reports of the 12 suspected patients of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will start coming by the weekend.
"There are currently 12 suspected patients of the Omicron variant in Delhi. Their samples have been sent for genome sequencing. Delhi has two genome sequencing labs, one in the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) and another in Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital. Their reports will start coming by today or tomorrow," Jain said while talking to ANI.
The health minister said that people need to stay cautious of the new variant of the virus. "RT-PCR tests of tourists coming from abroad are being carried out. No one is being allowed to go without their tests," he added.
Meanwhile, a 33-year-old man from Maharashtra's Kalyan-Dombivli who recently returned from South Africa has been found positive for the new Omicron variant of COVID-19, informed the State Health Department on Saturday.
This is the first case of the variant in Maharashtra and the fourth in the country. Other three cases have been detected in Gujarat (one) and Karnataka (two).
The concerned person's sample was taken in Delhi which was genome sequenced at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.
On the occasion of the 24th Hepatitis Day organised by the ILBS Hospital, Jain remarked that the majority of the patients lack awareness of the disease.
"There are a lot of Hepatitis patients in Delhi and within the country, they are estimated around two to five crores in number. Both Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C can be treated. Everyone must get himself tested at least once in his/her lifetime to determine if he has the disease or not," he added.
Highlighting the Delhi government's efforts to tackle the disease, Jain said that the government was providing free treatment to the patients and had carried out vaccination of 70 per cent of children against the disease.
"We want to take this vaccination mark to 100 per cent. We will also provide medicines for hepatitis in Mohalla clinics, doctors will be trained so as to ensure that treatment for this disease is available at Mohalla clinics too," he added.
In the year 2001, the Government of Delhi declared December 4 as the official Hepatitis Day for the state of Delhi. Ever since the inauguration of ILBS in 2010, it has been mandated by the GNCTD as the nodal agency for organizing the Hepatitis Day function in Delhi. (ANI)