Zimbabwe's Health Minister Reports Country's 1st Omicron Case

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd December, 2021) The first case of infection with the Omicron coronavirus strain was detected in Zimbabwe, the country's minister of health and childcare, Dr Constantino Chiwenga, said on Thursday.

"We have done genomic sequencing and we now have the virus in the country. Let's all follow Covid-19 preventative measures and get vaccinated," Chiwenga said as quoted by Zimbabwe's broadcaster ZBC news.

Zimbabwe's authorities on Wednesday introduced a mandatory 10-day quarantine for all travelers entering the country.

First detected last week in South Africa, the strain could be more dangerous and vaccine-resistant due to the greater number of mutations. Many countries closed their borders to foreign passengers arriving from African countries regardless of whether they hold certificates of full vaccination or recovery from COVID-19.