File Photo
EKO HOT BLOG reports that Dutch health authorities said on Tuesday that the Omicron variant was present in the Netherlands earlier than previously thought, and before South Africa had first reported the new strain of Covid-19.
The variant was found in two test samples from November 19 and 23, with one having no travel history, suggesting that the variant was already circulating in the Netherlands, the RIVM public health institute said.
The first Omicron cases in the Netherlands were previously believed to have been the cluster of 14 among passengers on two flights from South Africa that arrived in Amsterdam on Friday.
Read also: Omicron: FG To Issue New Protocol For International Travel
The Netherlands now joins other European countries including Belgium and Germany that have reported cases of the new strain before it was officially notified by South Africa to the World Health Organization (WHO) on November 24.
“We found two additional cases of Omicron variant which have been sampled on the 19th and 23rd of November,” RIVM infectious diseases chief Aura Timen told AFP.
“So that points at the presence already of this variant in the Netherlands.”
Click to watch our video of the week:
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Two Nigerian Travellers Test Positive For Omicron COVID Variant In Canada
Anthony Joshua may be approaching the final year of his boxing career, according to his…
The Nigerian comedy industry is undergoing a seismic shift as traditional stand-up comedy, once a…
The prosecution of minors alongside other EndBadGovernance protesters ignited widespread outrage this past week, especially…