A 26-year-old man from Kidwaipuri in Patna became the first person to be detected with the new Omicron variant of coronavirus in Bihar, reported news agency ANI on Thursday.
Sanjay Kumar Singh, the Executive Director of State Health Society, confirmed the first case of the new, fast-spreading variant, in Bihar.
The patient had visited the national capital last week to meet the relative, who tested positive for COVID-19 a day after he returned to Patna. Later, the relative was found infected with the latest variant and the Patna man, who was in home isolation, got his sample collected and sent for testing in a lab.
Amid the Omicron threat, the state government ordered the closure of all parks from Friday till Sunday.
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“It has been also decided that the New Year celebration will not take place in any park here. The decision has been taken to avoid the crowd on New Year,” according to a government order.
Meanwhile, India reported 309 fresh Omicron infections, taking the total number of such cases in the country to 1,270, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
The 1,270 cases have been detected across 23 states and Union Territories so far, and 374 people have recovered or migrated. Maharashtra recording the maximum number of 450 cases followed by Delhi at 320, Kerala 109 and Gujarat 97.
(With PTI inputs)
