Thailand detects first omicron variant case: health officials

Bangkok, Dec 6 (EFE).- Thailand’s health authorities reported Monday they had detected the first case of Covid-19’s omicron variant in an American traveler who arrived from Spain.

The 35-year-old patient tested positive for the virus on Tuesday after arriving in the country and again on Friday.

Suphakit Sirilak, Medical Sciences Department general director, said at a press conference that the infected person is almost certainly a carrier of the omicron variant.

The traveler, who had no symptoms, was admitted to hospital and received medical attention, something common according to Thai protocol even for asymptomatic cases.

Suphakit said this case has been classified as important, given the lack of knowledge about this new Covid-19 variant, but ruled out the possibility of local transmissions.

Thailand is fully reopening to travelers from abroad and trying to reactivate its important tourism sector to mitigate the economic damage caused by more than a year and a half of border closures to combat the pandemic.

The country, which surpassed its most contagious and deadly wave in October, has detected 2.14 million cases since the start of the pandemic, including more than 5,300 deaths, and has vaccinated almost 60 percent of the population with the full dosage. EFE

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