The cases were detected in the Caribbean cities of Cartagena de Indias and Santa Marta.
The Colombian health authorities detected this Monday the first three cases of the omicron variant of covid-19 in travelers who arrived from the United States and Spain, although they noted that “no community circulation has yet been identified.”
“The National Institute of Health (INS), based on the analyzes carried out by the national genomic network, has detected three cases of the omicron variant in Colombia. These three cases are of travelers who came from other parts of the world: two of them from the US and one from Spain ”, explained the Minister of Health, Fernando Ruiz.
The cases, Ruiz added, were detected in the Caribbean cities of Cartagena de Indias and Santa Marta and the infected are two Colombians and one American.
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“This situation is consistent with what we have been announcing for several weeks of the imminent arrival of the variant in Colombia,” said the minister, who recalled that the omicron “is already circulating in 80 countries.”
The omicron variant was identified in the country at a time when the pandemic remains low when compared to the lethal third peak that happened in the middle of the year and which had more than 32,000 daily infections and a record of 754 deceased.
This Monday, 29 deaths and 1,699 new covid-19 infections were reported, bringing the fatalities to 129,487 and the total number of registered infections to 5,109,022.
The discovery of the omicron also occurs when the National Vaccination Plan is advancing at a good pace and more than 62.5 million doses have already been applied.
Of this total, 27,199,605 people have their complete vaccination schedule and 2,677,561 citizens have received booster doses.
Regarding the arrival of omicron, Minister Ruiz added that “the three cases and their contacts are being exhaustively analyzed by the INS” and as there is information, it will be expanded.
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For this reason, the official urged citizens to protect themselves “in these festivities where people gather and there is greater intergenerational contact and greater contagion can be generated.”
He also invited all those over 18 years of age who have already completed six months of their full schedule to take the booster dose.
“There are vaccines available throughout Colombia and the important thing is to bear in mind that if we protect ourselves, we protect our families and the entire community,” said Ruiz.
The omicron variant of the coronavirus was also detected this Monday for the first time in Panama and Rio de Janeiro. (I)
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