With 5 fresh cases, India's Omicron tally rises to 38

India on Sunday reported five new cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, taking the total number of cases in the country up to thirty eight.

One cases each have been reported in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chandigarh, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The fresh surge in cases has spiked concerns globally.

•Maharashtra's Nagpur has reported its first case of Omicron -- a 40-year-old man who came back from South Africa via Delhi. He tested positive at the airport on December 6 and his genome test report from the National Institute of Virology came today. This was Maharashtra 18th case of Omicron.

•In Chandigarh, a 20-year-old man from Italy, who landed in India on November 22 and was diagnosed with COVID-19 on December 1, has tested positive for the Omicron variant. The Chandigarh Health department informed that he is fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine.

•On the other hand, Andhra Pradesh saw its first Omicron in a 34-year old man from Ireland. He is currently in Vishakhapatnam.

•A UK returnee who arrived in Kerala was tested positive for Omicron on Sunday, making it the first case of the new variant in the state. The concerned person had returned from the UK on December 6 after making a stopover in Abu Dhabi. He had tested positive on December 8.

His wife and mother have also tested positive and all three have been isolated. All 149 passengers in the flight have been identified and informed, the authorities in Kerala have said.

• A 34-year-old man, who came back from South Africa, has tested positive, Karnataka's health minister Dr Sudhakar K said in a tweet. He has been isolated and being treated in a government hospital, the minister also said.

States including Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat had earlier reported cases of the new COVID-19 variant.

Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research's unit in Assam has developed a new testing kit that can detect Omicron in two hours. This is expected to bring relief to travellers, who are struggling due to the increased wait time for test reports at airports.

Last week, the World Health Organisation warned nations in the Asia-Pacific region to boost healthcare capacity and fully vaccinate their people in preparation for a surge.

The Omicron strain, said to be "highly transmissible", has spread to at least 59 nations. The UK, Denmark, and South Africa are the top three countries with the highest number of Omicron cases.