THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nine more persons have tested positive for the Omicron variant of coronavirus in Kerala, taking the state's overall tally to 24, Health Minister Veena George said.

Six persons who reached Ernakulam and three persons who reached Thiruvananthapuram have tested positive for the Omicron variant.

An 18-year-old and a 47-year-old who returned from the UK, a 43-year-old woman and an 11-year-old boy who returned from Tanzania, a 44-year-old woman who returned from Ghana and a 26-year-old woman who returned from Ireland are the infected persons in Ernakulam.

The persons who tested positive for the Omicron variant in Thiruvananthapuram include a couple and another woman who returned from Nigeria.

All the six newly infected persons in Ernakulam had tested positive for Covid on December 18 and 19 during the tests conducted at the airport. Hence, they were directly admitted to the hospital. No one from the outside has come in contact with them.

The couple, who reached Thiruvananthapuram on December 10, tested positive for Covid-19 during the tests conducted on December 17. Both their children are on the primary contact list.

The 51-year-old woman, who arrived at Thiruvananthapuram airport on December 18, tested positive for Covid during a test conducted at the airport. Following this, she was admitted to the hospital.