The first cases of omicron in Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have been reported.

In Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh a few days ago, 45-year-old woman was tested positive for the new COVID-19 variant on December 12, health secretary Amitabh Avasthi said on Sunday. Her RT-PCR test was conducted at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital.

The woman had arrived in India from Canada on December 3 and was home isolated for 14 days.

However, she has recovered and tested negative on December 24, Avasthi noted.

In Madhya Pradesh eight people who had returned from abroad tested positive, reports ndtv.com.

According to ndtv.com, out of the eight cases, three had returned from the United States, two each from the United Kingdom and Tanzania, and one from Ghana. Six have since tested negative and been discharged from hospitals. The remaining two are both asymptomatic and receiving treatment.

On Sunday, the government said there were 422 omicron cases in India which did not include cases from Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, making the states 18th and 19th to be affected by omicron.