India has confirmed its first two cases of the omicron coronavirus variant.
India’s Health Ministry says the cases include two men in southern Karnataka state. The ministry says they came from abroad, but did not say where.
Health official Lav Agarwal said all contacts of the two men had been traced and tested for the virus.
A health worker administers COVID-19 vaccine as other await the turn in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021. (AP PhotoMahesh Kumar A.)
India has already classified at least 12 “at risk” and six “ultra-risk” countries in response to the threat posed by the omicron variant.
Some Indian states have issued strict restriction guidelines for international arrivals as precautionary measures, including mandatory COVID-19 tests for those originating from South Africa, Botswana, and Hong Kong.
A health worker takes a nasal swab sample of a woman as others wait to get tested for COVID-19 in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021. (AP PhotoMahesh Kumar A.)