First Omicron case detected in Ladakh; Authorities swing into action [details]

Authorities swung into action after the cold desert of Ladakh reported the first Omicron case after a person with a travel history of Nepal tested positive on Saturday. Reports said that a man with a travel history of Nepal has tested positive for the variant Omicorn, who belongs to the Kargil district of the Union Territory of Ladakh.

During the mandatory RT-PCR COVID testing at Leh airport on December 7, the patient tested negative for Coronavirus but the samples for the variant Omicorn were collected and sent for lab examination.

According to a news agency, the samples were tested positive and the individual has been immediately isolated and necessary precautionary measures have been taken besides whatever is required is being done timely.

Kargil administration issues fresh guidelines

After the first Omicron case was reported in Ladakh, the district administration of Kargil issued fresh guidelines to check the spread of the virus.

District Magistrate Kargil Santosh Sukhadeve ordered that all educational institutions including coaching institutions shall remain closed till further orders. They may be allowed to operate once the COVID situation in the district improves.

All social, religious, political, cultural, and sports gathering functions and other congregations, both in open and close spaces shall be allowed only up to 50 percent of the hall capacity or 30 persons, whichever is less. Wearing face masks, maintaining social distancing, provision of thermal scanning and use of hand wash or sanitizer will be mandatory.

164 fresh corona cases, two deaths in J&K

Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday reported two more deaths and 164 fresh positive cases of coronavirus cases, thus taking the number of total active cases in the Union Territory to 1,355.

With two more deaths, the death toll in J&K has reached 4,521 and 164 fresh positive cases reported on Saturday have pushed the tally of positive cases to 340,598.

Among 164 new cases, 124 belong to the Kashmir division while 40 are from the Jammu division, adding that the total number of positive cases in the Kashmir division have reached 214,587 including 211,256 recoveries and 2,325 deaths while as a total number of positive cases in Jammu division have reached to 126,011 including 123,466 recoveries and 2,196 deaths.