Omicron in India: Authorities in a tizzy after 147 returnees in Bareilly 'untraceable'

As many as 147 people have gone missing in the Bareilly district, out of nearly 900 returnees from abroad, prompting the health department to take action and share their information with police and the local intelligence unit (LIU) to find them as soon as possible.COVID-19 nodal officer Dr Anurag Gautam told the Times of India that the people were not “missing” but “untraceable” as their mobile numbers are either switched off or incorrect.“We have already been working and ensuring that the situation doesn’t deteriorate the way it had during the second wave. We are monitoring every person returning from abroad. Even if returnees test negative, we monitor their condition for 15 days. Their samples are taken at the time of arrival itself to ensure they don’t develop any symptoms of the virus,” Gautam was quoted in the report as saying.“We are observing that Omicron cases are being reported from almost every part of the country, so we can’t say that it won’t reach Bareilly," Dr Gautam added. “However, we can ensure that the cases are identified in a timely manner before they infect others,” he said.He said authorities were relying on focus sampling and had also covered auto drivers for random testing as they are exposed to the passengers travelling from other states.The official said that testing units were operational at the Bareilly airport as well, and that authorities were also banking on vaccination drives. “It is observed that vaccination has been successful in containing the infection. At present, the numbers of COVID-positive cases are low compared to the last season. The only worry is that people are not following the COVID guidelines, like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing, which could prove costly as everyone in the country is not vaccinated,” he added.Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.