The first Omicron case in Prakasam district has been detected at Ongole. Living in South Africa for the past 17 years, the person had arrived in Hyderabad after attending the wedding of his brother’s daughter in Dubai. His RT PCR was done on December 19 and the sample was sent to CCMB in Hyderabad on December 20 after it tested Covid positive. The report that the person had contracted Omicron came on Saturday.
Prakasam district medical and health officer (DMHO) Dr. P. Rathnavali said they have shifted the Omicron-infected man and five others, including his parents and brother, to the isolation ward in a government hospital. RT PCR test has been carried out on all contacts of the Omicron patient on Sunday. All of them, including the Omicron-confirmed person, are doing well, the DMHO told this correspondent.
Dr. Rathnavali said as a precautionary measure they are also conducting RT PCR tests on all residents of the apartment building in which the infected person had been staying. Civic body authorities have sanitised the entire building.
The DMHO regretted that people are still being negligent in wearing their masks. Authorities have thus decided to impose fines on those not wearing masks. She asked people not only to don their masks but also to ensure that they have taken both their doses, maintain physical distance and avoid mass gatherings.
In the backdrop of the first Omicron case detected, district administration is gearing up for the implementation of IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) activities for the next five days.
The IEC programme is meant to educate the people on Covid appropriate behaviour and a training programme has been planned for field staff of different departments on December 27 and 28.
It will be followed by rallies, health awareness activities from December 29 to 31.
In a communication to all departments, joint collector (development) T.S. Chetan said, "there is a need to interrupt transmission of Covid and strengthening of IEC activities for the promotion of Covid appropriate behaviour in entire Prakasam district".
The departments involved in the campaign to contain the spread of Covid, especially the Omicron variant, are panchayat raj, municipal corporation, endowments, minority welfare, DRDA, MEPMA, women and child welfare, medical and health and education department.
