Omicron: 21 passengers who reached Kerala from Russia go untested at airport, major lapse from health department

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The New Indian Express reported that amidst the Omicron fear, the health department failed to conduct an RTPCR test on the 21 passengers who arrived from Russia on Sunday and they were also not asked to go home quarantine.

Following the finding of the omicron variant of Covid in some countries, RTPCR testing and a week home quarantine were made mandatory for travellers from European countries. The central government issued the directive on November 26.

The 30-member team from Russia returned in various Air Arabia flights via Sharjah. Of them, 24 landed at Kochi airport, five at Thiruvananthapuram and one at Kozhikode. Of these, the passenger who reached Kozhikode and three seniors who came to Thiruvananthapuram were subjected to RTPCR test and directed to continue in home quarantine. However, the passengers who landed in Kochi and one in Thiruvananthapuram were neither subjected to the test nor directed to go quarantine, reported the daily.

However, sources at the airport said the last four who arrived in Kochi were subjected to the test. Meantime, Ernakulam District Medical Officer Dr V Jayasree said she is not aware of the incident. She said they started checking passengers coming from high risk countries on Sunday. We examined 141 people on that day. There is no information on such a lapse but it will be investigated, she told the daily.