Covid-19: Australia confirms two cases of Omicron variant

Covid-19: The state of New South Wales, Australia, on Sunday confirmed two cases of the new Omicron coronavirus strain in the country for the first time.

Also read | South Africans who tested Covid positive in Bengaluru infected with Delta variant According to information, the state of New South Wales in Australia reported two cases of the new Omicron variant. The state government said it had confirmed that two travellers who arrived in Sydney on Saturday from Southern Africa were infected with the variant. Both travellers were vaccinated against Covid-19 and had no symptoms, as per reports. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="976"] Representative image from social media[/caption] Earlier on November 27, the United Kingdom had also reported two cases of the Omicron variant. The new Omicron variant, which has been detected first in South Africa, has escalated tensions across the world as it is considered more dangerous than the delta variant. It has been declared as a 'variant of concern' by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="3524"] Representative image from social media[/caption] Also read | This will be first Indian city to start ropeway service in public transportation The WHO identified the new South African strain as one of concern, as it is reported to carry a high number of mutations -- 32 -- which possibly makes it more transmissible and dangerous. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="707"] Representative image from social media[/caption] The WHO has dubbed it Omicron, the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet. Following the reports about the new variant, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Israel, Australia and other countries have restricted travel from several southern African nations over the health concerns. -PTC News