Chile Detects the First Case of Omicron Strain

In Chile, Valparaiso's Regional Ministerial Secretariat of Health (SEREMI) reported the first case of the Novel Coronavirus Omicron variant in the country.

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SEREMI explained that the case was a traveler from Ghana who had arrived in the South American country on Nov. 25.

The patient passed the borders with a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test but in the additional mandatory COVID-19 test on arrival at the airport, he tested positive.

The passenger had two doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine and fulfilled an isolation regime first at home and then in a health residence.

Valparaiso SEREMI director George Hübner indicated that epidemiological follow-up was carried out on the passengers who were on the flight to detect additional cases. 

Chile has the most advanced vaccination rate in the world at 91.22 percent of the eligible population already immunized with double dose and in the process of administering the third or booster dose.

As of Sunday morning, the Andean nation had confirmed 1,772,547 COVID-19 cases and 38,501 related deaths.