Imphal: The first Omicron case in the northeast was detected on Monday when a 48-year-old man from Imphal District West Manipur, who had returned from Tanzania recently, was tested positive for the new Covid-19 variant.
The man was isolated at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical Institute which was managed by the government in the Eastern District Imphal, said health officials.
He is asymptomatic and has no medical complaints.
“The Omicron variant of Sarscovid2 has been detected in an international passenger from Tanzania to the country,” said a statement issued by the Manipur Director of Health Services K Rajo Singh.
After positive testing for Covid-19 after his arrival in India last week, the sample was sent for the original genome sequencing to the newly opened laboratory from the Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (ISBD) in Takyelpat in Imphal.
Rajo said three people who came into contact with the man were also found positive and their samples had been sent to the intact genome sequencing in ISBD.
The three are stored under special isolation, he added.