THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister Veena George said Christmas and New Year should be celebrated with caution as the number of Omicron patients in the state is on the rise. A total of 29 people in the state have so far been confirmed by Omicron. Seventeen are from high risk countries and ten are from low risk countries.

They are from high-risk countries like UK (twelve), Tanzania (three), Khana (one), Ireland (one) and low-risk countries Dubai (two), Congo (one), Tunisia (one), Nigeria (four), Kenya (one) and Albania (one). Two contracted Omicron through contact. The district wise Omicron cases in Ernakulam (15), Thiruvananthapuram (10), Thrissur (1), Malappuram (1), Kozhikode (1) and Pathanamthitta (1). The minister said everyone including those from abroad should be extra vigilant as more and more people from low-risk countries are being diagnosed with the disease.

The transmission of Omicron is very high. So avoid crowds as much as possible. The elderly, children and the sick should be given extra care. Masks have been scientifically proven to be very important in Omicron resistance. Therefore, use N95 mask when attending public events or public events. Do not change the mask or take group photos for any reason. Special care should be taken to keep distance while eating.

Ventilation in rooms and halls should be ensured as enclosed spaces can spread the disease. If one is infected with Omicron in public places, it can spread quickly to others. A closure again is not possible. Those on quarantine and self-observation should not attend crowds, public ceremonies or events. It is best not to leave the house during observation period. Meetings with other relatives and friends should be avoided at home during the quarantine period. The minister also requested those who need to be vaccinated to get vaccinated immediately.

Five more were detected with the Omicron variant of Covid-19, taking the total count of cases to 29, said Health Minister Veena George. Four who arrived at the Ernakulam airport and one from Kozhikode were diagnosed with the disease. Two aged 28 and 24 from UK, 35-year-old from Albania and a 40-year-old from Pathanamthitta who came from Nigeria were diagnosed with the disease in Ernakulam.

The 28-year-old who reached Ernakulam from UK is from Kottayam. The 21-year-old confirmed of Omicron in Kozhikode arrived from Bengaluru. Of these, 17 are from high risk countries and 10 from low risk countries. Two were infected through contacts.

Those confirmed of Omicron in Ernakulam came on December 15, 19 and 20. The Pathanamthitta native reached Ernakulam on December 14 from Nigeria. He was under home observation and was diagnosed with the disease on December 18. His father, mother, wife and two children are in the contacts list.

The person diagnosed of the disease in Kozhikode arrived at Bengaluru airport on December 17 and then reached Kozhikode on December 19. Their samples have been sent to Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology for genome sequencing. All those confirmed of Omicron were admitted to hospitals. Their contacts list is being prepared.