Germany is being reported to have recorded its first suspected case of the Omicron variant, a few days after the coronavirus was reported in Southern Africa countries, authorities in the state of Hesse (west) announced on Saturday.
According to reports on Saturday, the Omicron variant was recorded on a passenger who arrived at Frankfurt airport from South Africa, after tests were carried out on Friday.
The tests carried out on Friday evening revealed “several mutations typical of Omicron”, a “worrying” variant.
“The Omicron variant is in all likelihood already present in Germany,” regional Minister of Social Affairs Kai Klose announced on Twitter.
The new variant has been found at a time when Germany and many other European countries are grappling with a surge in coronavirus cases.
The infected person is in isolation
This new Omicron variant of the coronavirus, detected for the first time Thursday in South Africa, is considered “worrying” by the World Health Organisation. It would present an increased risk of contagion compared to other variants, including Delta, dominant and already very contagious.
“Because of this strong suspicion, this person is in isolation at his home. The full analysis of the results is still underway,” said the minister.
The new variant has already been detected in Europe, in Belgium. Omicron has also been identified in Malawi, Israel on a person from Malawi, Botswana and Hong Kong.
He added that a full sequencing of the variant was being carried out and that the person was isolating, and he urged anyone who had travelled from South Africa in the last few weeks to limit contacts and get tested.
Germany is declaring South Africa a virus-variant area, meaning airlines are allowed to fly only Germans to Germany from South Africa, a source told Reuters on Friday. Even those who are vaccinated must spend 14 days in quarantine.