Thiruvananthapuram: A Kannur native has tested positive for the Omicron variant of coronavirus on Saturday, taking Kerala's tally of those infected with the new strain to 38.

The 51-year-old patient detected with the new variant was in the primary contact list of a COVID-infected student in his neighbourhood. The infection was confirmed in a genetic sequencing test carried out as part of the sentinel surveillance, the State Health Department said..

Meanwhile, an Omicron positive patient in Malappuram district was discharged from the hospital today after 12 days of treatment.

The first Omicron positive patient in the State was discharged from hospital on Friday.

The State detected its first case on December 12 in Ernakulam district when a person who had returned from the UK tested positive.

Kerala's COVID-19 active cases dropped to a 9-month low on Saturday with just 24,501 remaining infected. The state reported 2,407 fresh coronavirus cases and 3,377 recoveries on the day.