The 46-year-old doctor in Bengaluru, who
was identified as the second omicron infected individual in India, has tested
positive for COVID-19 again. As per the government mandate, the RT-PCR test was
conducted seven days after his last one. Currently, the doctor is being kept
under observation for another week. Senior officials of the state have
confirmed that he will only be discharged after the test results come back negative.

Notably, Karnataka became the first Indian
state to report the omicron variant cases in India. The government is on top of
the situation. Five people who had some contact with the doctor, and tested
positive, were also quarantined. However, they have tested negative and will be
discharged accordingly. These samples have been sent for genome testing too, and
the results are awaited. Authorities have also traced and tested over 200 individuals
who came in contact with the two patients.

Also Read | Here’s why omicron will infect major Indian cities

Moreover, the state government has
succeeded in tracing 13 primary contacts and around 205 secondary contacts. Due
to the scale of the situation, the Karnataka government has already set up two
labs for genome sequencing. It has plans to increase testing and has requested
the central government to allow four more such labs to be set up.

Also Read | What is Omicron?

Considering the alarming situation with the
omicron variant, several countries are imposing travel restrictions. Some are
even shutting down borders. However, this move might be mistimed, seeing that
the Bengaluru doctor did not have any history of international travel. First
detected in South Africa, omicron has now spread to several parts of the globe.

Nobody knows yet how contagious this new variant
is, and how effective the current vaccines are. Recently, the Indian Medical
Association (IMA) also advised the government to focus on vaccination and improved
immunization, warning that India might face a massive third wave.