Two more cases of the Omicron variant were detected in Mumbai on Monday, taking the state’s tally to 10. This has also pushed the overall number of Omicron cases in India to 23.

An official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said both patients — a couple living in the city’s western suburbs — travelled internationally recently and are fully vaccinated.

One of the patients is a 37-year-old man who returned from South Africa on November 25. The other patient, the first patient’s 36-year-old partner, had returned from the US the same day. Both are fully vaccinated with Pfizer’s vaccine and are undergoing treatment at the Seven Hills Hospital in Andheri, the official said.

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Meanwhile, officials said field surveillance of all international passengers who have arrived since November 1 is under way. Through airport and field surveillance, 34 samples have been sent for genome sequencing. Additionally, field surveillance of all international passengers who have arrived since November 1 is underway.

The state government has meanwhile asked districts to procure the S-gene test, which reportedly enables speedy detection of the Omicron mutation. At the moment, only Mumbai and Pune have these kits.

Experts said the kit detects the lack of the S-gene, which is a key indicator of the presence of Omicron in a patient.

Also read: Omicron threat: Must involve private labs to speed up genome sequencing, says Dr Gagandeep Kang

(Edited by : Vijay Anand)