Seven new cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus have been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the number of total cases to 38, State Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Saturday, December 25. In a set of tweets, he said, "Seven new cases of Omicron variant have been confirmed in Karnataka on December 25."

According to him, those who tested positive were: a 76-year-old man from Bengaluru, who had travelled from Delhi, a 30-year-old woman from Bengaluru, who came from UAE, a 63-year-old man from Bengaluru who arrived from Zambia and a 54-year-old man from Bengaluru, who was a primary contact of a United Kingdom traveller.

He added that a 21-year-old man from Bengaluru who arrived from the UK, a 62-year-old man from Bengaluru, who came from Delhi, and a 15-year-old boy from Bengaluru who travelled from the USA have also been found infected. The minister said that all primary and secondary contacts have been tracked, traced and tested. The Health Department said except for the 15-year-old, all are vaccinated. Among the infected people, four have symptoms of the new variant of coronavirus.

In light of the spread of the Omicron variant in India, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had earlier announced a series of restrictions on Christmas and New Year’s celebrations in the state. He said that on New Year’s Eve, mass gatherings and special events like DJ parties will be prohibited across the state"Mass gatherings will not be allowed, particularly in the MG Road area in Bengaluru. Restaurants and bars can function at 50% capacity but special events like DJ parties will not be allowed," Basavaraj Bommai told reporters. "Even in apartments, DJ parties will not be allowed. This is across the state and not just in Bengaluru," he added. .

Read more details about New Year’s Eve restrictions in Bengaluru here: Going out on New Year’s Eve in Bengaluru? Here’s the list of rules you should know