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THAILAND detects the first case of COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529 or Omicron. According to the Director General of the Thai Department of Disease Control, Opas Karnkawinpong, the first case was detected in the body of an American who arrived in Thailand from Spain late last month.
This confirmation makes Thailand the 47th country to detect the Omicron variant. The variant was first detected in South Africa.
“The first case of this Omicron variant is a 35-year-old US citizen who has lived in Spain for one year,” Opas said, quoted from The Peninsula, Monday (12/06).
Opas said Thai health authorities were conducting further tests on a number of people who had contact with the man. But according to him, so far, all contacts are declared to be at a low risk level.
Thailand has barred entry to travelers from eight African countries including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe since early December amid fears of an Omicron variant.
Thai authorities have also restricted travel from an additional four African countries, and are currently monitoring the potential emergence of Omicron among international travelers.
This Monday, Thailand recorded an additional 4,000 cases of COVID-19 and 22 deaths. Since the start of the pandemic last year, Thailand has recorded a total of more than 2.1 million infections and 20,966 deaths. According to data from the Thai Ministry of Health, more than 57% of people across the country have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. [sources/photo special]
