Omicron scare: 3 foreign returnees test COVID positive in Manipur

Omicron scare has gripped the Northeast state of Manipur after at least three foreign returnees in the state have tested positive for COVID-19. 

Out of the three who tested positive for COVID-19 in Manipur, two had returned from The Netherlands and one from Canada. 

Notably, The Netherlands went into a lockdown on Saturday to curtail the spread of the Omicron variant during Christmas gatherings. 

Meanwhile, all the three foreign returnees hail from Imphal West district in Manipur. 

They had arrived in the stated at Bir Tikendrajit International Airport in Imphal on Sunday. 

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All the three persons have been admitted to Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) Hospital. 

Meanwhile, the samples of the three COVID patients would be sent for genome sequencing to ascertain whether they have been infected by the Omicron variant. 

India has at least 200 cases of the new Omicron variant till now, the health ministry said on Tuesday.