Shawdesh Desk:

A patient infected with highly contagious new Omicron sub-variant of coronavirus, BF.7, has been detected in Bangladesh, the Directorate General of Health Services confirmed on Sunday.

He is one of the four returnees from China who tested positive for Covid-19 at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on December 26 and was kept in isolation then, said Directorate General of Health Services director professor Najmul Islam.

Nazmul said that they were not worried about detection of Omicron sub-variant case in the country.

‘We don’t want anyone to get panicked as our positivity rate is now below one percent. But we have taken the matter seriously and trying to prevent its spread,’ he said.

Replying to a question, he said that they were closely monitoring the situation and testing those regularly who are returning to the country from the affected countries.

Those who tested positive for Covid-19 are being sent to the isolation centers, he added.

In the wake of the surge in the new sub-variant of Covid infections, Omicron BF.7, in different countries including China and India, the government has asked all to take necessary steps in maintaining health guidelines in all airports, land ports and river ports across the country.

The Directorate General of Health Services issued a notice in this regard on December 26.

The emergence of new sub-variant Omicron BF.7 is most likely responsible for the current surge of Covid infection in China, India and other countries which is more transmissible, said the DGHS.

To contain the spread of Covid, the DGHS has instructed the authorities concerned to strengthen surveillance and screening of people coming to Bangladesh from countries including China, India, Japan, South Korea, USA, France, Brazil and Germany.