Bengaluru, Dec 23 (IANS): A total of 12 new cases of Omicron variant have been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the state's tally to 31, Health Minister K. Sudhakar said on Thursday.

The Omicron positive patients have returned from Ghana, Nigeria, Switzerland, Denmark, and UK, while some Bengaluru residents have also tested positive for the variant.

The local infectees are two women, aged 20 and 54, and a 56-year-old man. A 27 year-old-male patient in Mangaluru has come from Ghana, while four persons, including a woman, who have come to Bengaluru from the UK, have tested positive. Another patient, a 49-year-old woman, arrived from Denmark.

An 11-year-old girl returning from the UK, a 59-year-old woman returning from Nigeria, and a 9-year-old girl returning from Switzerland have tested also positive for Omicron, Sudhakar said.

Health Department officials said that all infected persons are being treated at designated hospitals.

The flats and residences of Omicron positive patients have been sealed and the primary and secondary contacts of these patients are tracked and tested.

With Christmas and New Year around the corner, Health Department officials are worried and say it is going to be a challenging situation for the government.

Meanwhile, the Health Department has announced that Karnataka has fully vaccinated 75 per cent of its adult population. Bengaluru Urban, excluding the BBMP area, has become the first district in the state to achieve 100 per cent second dose coverage.