Palestine reports 49 new cases of COVID omicron variant

Palestinian health authorities recorded 49 new infections of the COVID-19 omicron variant on Sunday.

Health Ministry spokesman Kamal al-Shakhra said the new infections were detected among people returning from abroad and people who contacted with infected patients.

The new tally brings the number of omicron cases in the Palestinian territories to 291, the spokesman said.

Palestinian health authorities reported the first three cases of the new variant on Dec. 23.

The omicron strain has been found in some 80 countries since it was identified in November by scientists in South Africa.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the omicron variant was spreading significantly faster than the delta strain.