Ómicron: the countries in which the new variant of the coronavirus has been detected

Omicron, identified in South Africa on Wednesday and classified on Friday as “a variant of concern” by the World Health Organization, continues to spread throughout the world.

More than thirty people have been diagnosed with the variant in at least a dozen countries.

The first to confirm the presence of omicron was Belgium.

Subsequently, the new variant appeared in United Kingdom, where the British Health Security Agency confirmed this Sunday a third case in addition to the two that had already been reported. And this Monday the Scottish government reported the detection of six cases in the territory.

In Canada, authorities reported two confirmed cases of the new variant in Ottawa on Sunday.

The day before, in Germany, the Ministry of Health confirmed that two passengers who landed on November 24 at Munich airport, from South Africa, were confirmed by PCR as infected with the variant.

Both people asked to be analyzed after learning the information about the new variant, so the ministry called those who arrived on the same flight to German soil to contact the health authorities.

“All people who have been in South Africa in the last 14 days should immediately reduce their contacts, undergo a PCR test, reveal their travel history and immediately contact the health department,” the ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Higher Institute of Health (ISS) of Italy reported that a case “attributable” to the omicron variant of the coronavirus was detected in the country.

According to the institution, the man had received both doses of the vaccine.

The Italian Ministry of Health has urged authorities in all regions of the country to increase tracking of the virus.

In most of these nations the first cases have been detected shortly after they announced travel restrictions from southern Africa on Friday, but even before they went into effect.

The authorities of Netherlands reported on Sunday that 13 passengers who flew from South Africa to Amsterdam they tested positive for the new variant of the coronavirus.

The new cases were found among 61 passengers who arrived in Amsterdam on two flights from South Africa and were isolated after testing positive for COVID.

All were accommodated in a hotel near Schiphol airport, although according to local press reports, a person of Spanish origin and another Portuguese escaped from quarantine.

For its part, Australia and Denmark confirmed two cases each on Sunday.

Danish Health Minister Magnus Heunicke confirmed that it is a couple who returned to the country from South Africa.

Ómicron has also been detected in Botswana, Hong Kong e Israel, which announced this Saturday that it would close its borders for two weeks to foreigners.

A hospital in the city of Liberec in northern Czech Republic, also confirmed the case of a passenger who flew from Namibia through South Africa and Dubai and who tested positive for covid.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis had said earlier that the woman was vaccinated and had mild symptoms.

Countries around the world have been quick to introduce travel bans and restrictions to southern African countries in an effort to contain the spread of omicron.