November 30, 2021: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday (November 30) that so far no cases of Omicron the super mutant variant of COVID has been reported from in part of India. Speaking on the floor of Rajya Sabha, the minister said that samples of people who have arrived in the country have been sent for genome sequencing.

So far one person each from Maharashtra and Chandigarh who have returned from South Africa have tested positive for COVID but are yet to test positive for the Omicron variant first found in South Africa.

Meanwhile, states have stepped up testing and taking necessary steps to handle any case of Omicron. Delhi, Jharkhand and Maharashtra have requested the Centre to allow a ban on international flights. It is likely that Centre might review its recent decision to lift all restrictions for international flights from December 15.

Omicron is the new variant of COVID and WHO has said that it poses a "very high" global risk and could have "severe consequences" where there are surges.