Algeria Reports 1st Omicron Case

On Tuesday, Algeria announced that the state recorded the first infection with Omicron COVID-19 strain, adding that the passenger arrived in the state early this month, Sputnik reported.

Local reports revealed that the sample was found as part of detecting the development of the mutated variants of COVID-19, and the carrier of the virus is a foreigner and he was tested by the authorities in the airport.

Next, he was tested positive, so his sample was sent to be more analyzed, and to see if it carries Omicron or not.

Moreover, the state could be the 9th Arab country that detected the presence of the newly emerged strain, after the KSA, the UAE, Lebanon, Jordan, Oman, Bahrain, and Tunisia.

The new Omicron variant, which was discovered initially in South Africa, has heightened global anxieties because it is thought to be more deadly than the delta variant.

The World Health Organization (WHO) designated it as a ‘variant of concern’ on Friday because it has a high number of mutations (32), potentially making it more transmissible and deadly.

WHO has given it the name Omicron, which is the Greek alphabet’s 15th letter.

Following news of the new variant, the US, the EU, Canada, Israel, Australia, and other countries have imposed travel restrictions on many southern African countries due to health concerns.