Kashmir recorded its first cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus on Tuesday as two locals and three tourists tested positive for the strain, officials said Tuesday. “Omicron has finally made its way to Kashmir. 05 cases detected. Stay safe stay healthy..Follow Covid appropriate Behavior, follow Sops,” Kashmir Health Services Director Mir Mushtaq tweeted. While one patient was detected in Uri (Baramulla district) the other was diagnosed in Shopian district. Three tourists has also tested positive for the variant. The number of Omicron cases in Jammu and Kashmir has gone up to eight now as three cases were detected in Jammu last month.

The Omicron COVID variant in Nashik touched 4,21,294 on Tuesday with the addition of 1,450 cases, while the death toll remained unchanged at 8,765, an official said. So far, 4,06,204 people have been discharged post-recovery, including 469 during the day, he said. With 8,398 samples being examined on Tuesday, the number of tests in Nashik went up to 30,79,528, he added.

Nepal on Tuesday imposed a partial lockdown across the Kathmandu Valley due to the recent surge in the coronavirus cases, the health ministry said. Termed as smart lockdown, the Ministry of Health and Population said that under the new guidelines gathering of more than 25 people in public places have been banned and anyone violating it will have to face strict action.