Thiruvananthapuram: The number of Covid-19 patients who have tested positive for the Omicron variant in Kerala has now reached 24,  State Health Minister Veena George said. Six of the nine patients travelled to Kochi from other countries, while three arrived at the capital city's airport, she said.

"The six people who arrived in Kochi tested positive for Covid at the airport and were soon sent to a hospital, so they had no one on their contact list. While one traveller from the United Kingdom tested positive for Covid upon arrival and was taken to the hospital, two others from Nigeria who came on December 10 tested positive later and had only two of their children as key contacts "George noted.

Following a surge in Omicron cases, all four airports have increased screening of arriving passengers, and the government has requested everyone to follow Covid guidelines and ensure that anyone who has not yet received the second dose of immunisation does so as soon as possible. By now, 75 percent of those over the age of 18 have received both doses, while 97.38 percent have received only one, and officials are holding camps to ensure that everyone receives both doses as soon as possible.

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