Earlier on 2 January, 23 Omicron cases (19 male and 4 female in the age group of 8 to 83 years) were reported from the State. Of the total cases, 7 were from Keonjhar district, 4 from Khordha, 3 each from Puri and Sambalpur, 2 each from Boudh and Angul and 1 each from Jagatsinghpur and Balasore districts.

The State had reported the first two cases on 21 December while five cases were recorded on 30 December. On December 26, four foreign returnees, 2 from Nigeria and as many from UAE, had tested positive for the Omicron variant. On December 23, two patients, aged 11 and 15, who recently returned from “non at-risk” country Nigeria, were also found infected.

Prior to that, two patients, aged 41 and 43, had tested positive for the Omicron variant on December 21, after returning to the state from Nigeria and Qatar.

Around 90% of Omicron patients are found to be asymptomatic and recovering fast in home isolation. However cases are likely to rise exponentially in the coming days as the mutant variant is highly transmissible. The health agencies are fully prepared to trace, track and treat the infectees of the new variants, said Health Services Director Bijay Mohapatra.

(With inputs from agencies)