On Thursday, officials from the health ministry stated that 11 omicron subvariants had been detected in 124 international travelers. They stated that these international travelers tested positive during the screening at international ports, including seaports and airports.

With the sudden surge in COVID cases in China, the central government mandated 2% random testing for foreign passengers on their arrival in India from December 24, 2022. The officials revealed that more than 19,227 international passengers have been screened, out of whom 124 have tested confirmed positive, and all patients have been kept in isolation.

Experts have stated that they have only observed mild infections caused by Omicron among the Indian population. However, they have advised caution and the need to follow preventive measures. They revealed that the genome sequencing of the positive samples revealed XBB as the most prominent Omicron sub-variant with 14 cases, followed by the BQ.1.1 series with 9 cases. One sample confirmed the presence of BF.7, CH.1.1, and CH.1.1.1 sub-variants. 

(Source: https://www.livemint.com/science/health/11-omicron-sub-variants-detected-from-124-international-travelers-11672944785253.html )