ASUNCION (Reuters) – Paraguay has confirmed its first three cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, its Health Ministry said on Monday, adding that the cases were detected in people who had traveled outside the country this month.
The patients were quarantined and ministry official Sandra Irala told reporters that other groups of travelers were being tested for COVID-19. She said the government would not take immediate action on travel, but urged people to plan safely.
Several countries in the region have reported cases of the Omicron variant, which has generated concern due to its high contagiousness. Brazil was the first to detect it in Latin America at the end of November.
The Pan American Health Organization has said that vaccines remain a fundamental tool for reducing hospitalizations and deaths, and to limiting the appearance of new variants.
(Reporting by Daniela Desantis; Writing by Hugh Bronstein; Editing by Howard Goller)
