Maharashtra may impose 7-day quarantine for passengers from South Africa

Maharashtra is likely to announce seven-day institutional quarantine for passengers arriving directly from South Africa or transiting through the country, which was the first to report the latest Omicron variant of the coronavirus, considered to be more transmittable than the previous Covid -19 mutations.

The state is also likely to make a negative RT-PCR test mandatory for entry of domestic travellers, according to senior state officials.

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday, in a review meeting with the district collectors and municipal commissioners, said they could go ahead with immediate imposition of quarantine rules without waiting for the Centre to announce new guidelines.

Thackeray chaired the meeting from a Mumbai hospital where he is recuperating following a spine surgery. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has suggested imposing 14-day institutional quarantine for passengers from geographies of concern in Africa. However, the state is expected to approve a seven-day quarantine. Detailed guidelines are expected to be issued in a couple of days, officials said.

“A large number of people from abroad have started coming to Mumbai and other places. Many of them land elsewhere in the country and travel by domestic airlines, roads and trains. If any of them are carriers of the virus, others may be at great risk, so it is imperative to investigate such passengers, to keep a tab on them,” Thackeray is quoted in a statement released by his office.

During the meeting, Thackeray instructed officials to test international and domestic passengers arriving at airports in the state.

State Covid Task Force member Dr Shashank Joshi said they are now in the “vigilant” mode as the new variant, B.1.1.529, is reportedly more infectious than Delta, the variant largely responsible for the deadly second wave of coronavirus infections in India earlier this year.

“The Delta variant had two mutations, this has over 50. It is a super mutant, and it transmits rapidly. In 10 days, it replaced the dominant Delta strain in South Africa,” Joshi, who attended the meeting on Sunday, said.

Experts have also expressed fears that the Omicron variant was less likely to face resistance from immunity built in individuals who successfully recovered from infections triggered by the old variants such as Delta.

“If you look at the mutation sites, it [Omicron] is likely to cause more severe disease. In the next four weeks, we will have data to understand how severe it is. India is concerned because this new variant can replace Delta. If a new strain comes into India now, we might get a new wave through this strain.” Joshi added.

The Omicron variant is currently being studied by researchers around the globe to ascertain if it can result in more severe infections.

Joshi added that the vaccination drive needs to pick up speed and people who have not taken their second dose must not delay after completing the mandatory waiting period between the two doses.

Maharashtra on Sunday added 832 new Covid-19 cases (6,634,444 cumulative). The state also reported 33 deaths to take the toll to 140,941. Mumbai added 210 new infections on the same day (762,584 cumulative) and recorded four disease related fatalities (toll 16,330). There were 8,193 active cases in the state, including 2,192 in Mumbai.