Sangareddy (Telangana) [India], December 2 (ANI): In yet another COVID-19 cluster from Telangana, 27 students have tested positive for Coronavirus in Mahatma Jyothirao Phule BC Welfare School, Indresham in Sangareddy district of the state.

According to the Sangareddy District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO), there are a total of 960 students in the hostel.

"On November 24 this year, a girl was suffering from fever and she was sent home but on November 26 she tested positive for COVID-19. Following this, yesterday, we started testing all the students in the hostel. Since yesterday, a total of 300 students have undergone COVID-19 tests out of which 27 have tested positive for the infection. Testing of other students will be continued," said the Sangareddy DMHO.

Earlier, on Monday 46 students from the Sangareddy district had tested positive for COVID-19.

The development comes after the Centre, earlier in the day, informed that two people have tested positive for the new Omicron variant of the COVID-19 in Karnataka.

A 46-year-old male and a 66-year-old male were those who contracted the variant.

The new COVID-19 variant was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from South Africa on November 25. As per the WHO, the first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on November 9 this year.The new Omicron coronavirus variant has been confirmed in 23 countries and their number is expected to rise, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said.

India has also added several countries to the list from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in the country, including post-arrival testing for infection.

Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry has informed that the Omicron variant can be five times more infectious than the other known variants of the novel coronavirus. (ANI)