The new variant of the COVID-19 virus, known as "Omicron," has arrived in South America, with the first two confirmed cases recorded in the entire Latin American region. The government of São Paulo state in Brazil announced on Tuesday that it had confirmed two cases of the Omicron variant from travelers arriving from South Africa.
According to a statement from the state government, "The São Paulo Department of Health confirmed on Tuesday the first two imported cases of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in Brazil," as reported by AFP. The department noted that the verification of this variant was conducted through genetic sequencing of the virus.
In its statement, the department clarified that the infected individuals are a 41-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman, who arrived in Brazil on November 23 and returned to South Africa on the 25th of the same month. The health authorities in São Paulo indicated that they are investigating a third suspected case, according to AFP.
Health authorities explained that the potential infection of the third person relates to a traveler who arrived from Ethiopia after visiting South Africa. Reports have also indicated other suspected cases in Belo Horizonte, southeastern Brazil, as well as in the capital Brasília. Like many other countries, Brazil has closed its borders to flights coming from six countries in the southern part of Africa.
