With four new cases of the Omicron variant detected in the state, the overall tally of Omicron cases in Kerala has risen to 11, the state health department said.
Two from Thiruvananthapuram have tested positive for the Omicron variant. While the 17-year-old came from the UK, the 44-year-old came from Tunisia in a chartered flight.
In Malappuram, a 37-year-old Karnataka resident who came from Tanzania has been tested positive for the newly identified variant.
In Thrissur, a 49-year old who came from Kenya has been tested positive.
Since neither Kenya nor Tunisia is on the list of high-risk countries, the patients have been asked to self-isolate, Health Minister Veena George informed.
The 17-year-old travelled to Kerala from the UK with his father, mother and sister. All of them are under treatment, including his grandmother, who is also on the contact list.
The new variant was confirmed in these patients following tests conducted at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology.
The first case of Omicron detected in the state was a person who had returned from the UK in Ernakulam district on December 12. On December 15, four more cases were identified. Yesterday, two cases were confirmed.