Maharashtra reports seven more cases of Omicron Covid variant; tally in state rises to eight

Passengers stand in a queue to get their temperature checked during a Covid-19 coronavirus screening. Credit: AFP Photo

One day after Maharashtra reported its first Omicron case, seven more people have tested positive for the Coronavirus variant on Sunday taking the total to eight in the state.

While the first patient is from the Kalyan-Dombivli area of Thane district adjoining Mumbai, the seven new cases are from Pune district - one from Pune city and the rest six from the sister city of Pimpri-Chinchwad.

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The samples were tested at the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV).

However, state Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Rajesh Tope said on Saturday that there is nothing to fear and urged people to get vaccinated and use masks.

Those infected included a 44-year-old woman who had come from Lagos in Nigeria on November 24 to meet her brother in Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal area. “The woman, her two daughters accompanying her, the brother and his two daughters – a total of 6 people have tested positive,” officials said.

Besides, a 47-year-old man from Pune has also tested positive for the Omicron variant.

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