Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], December 22 (ANI): As many as nine more Omicron cases were reported in Kerala, taking the total infections of this variant to 24, informed state Health Minister Veena George on Wednesday.

Of the nine cases, two people are returnees from the United Kingdom, two are returnees from Tanzania, one from Ghana, one from Ireland and three from Nigeria.

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"Nine more Omicron cases reported in Kerala. Six persons who reached Ernakulam and three who reached Thiruvananthapuram were found infected with the variant. The total number of omicron cases in the state stands at 24," Veena said.

"In Ernakulam, two people reached from the UK, a woman and a boy had reached from Tanzania, another woman had reached from Ghana and one more woman reached from Ireland and had tested positive for the variant. In Trivandrum, a husband, wife and another woman reached from Nigeria," she added.

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According to Veena, there is no one in the contact list of those positive in Ernakulam as they were shifted to the hospital from the airport after testing positive for COVID-19 on December 18 and 19.

"The couple, who returned from Nigeria, tested positive for COVID-19 on December 17. Their two children are in the contact list," informed the minister.

Meanwhile, India has reported over 200 cases of Omicron, which was first detected in South Africa. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)