Both suspected Omicron cases in Catalonia confirmed
The first Omicron variant case not linked to any travelling also detected in Madrid
Barcelona / MadridCatalan Health minister Josep Maria Argimon has confirmed that suspected cases in Catalonia are infected with the Omicron variant of covid-19. The positives were identified at El Prat airport on their arrival from South Africa.
In parallel, a third case of the Omicron variant has been detected in Madrid, the first infected by community transmission. As confirmed by Madrid's Department of Health, it is a 62-year-old man who has mild symptoms and is vaccinated with two AstraZeneca doses. The man had not travelled nor had been in close contact with another person from the countries where this variant has been detected. Madrid's Directorate General of Public Health is investigating two more suspected cases, who have mild symptoms and who also have no history of travel to countries at risk.
Thus, in total there are already three confirmed cases in Madrid and six at the state level.
On Monday, the first case of the Omicron variant in the state. Epidemiologists are still studying how the variant behaves and, given the uncertainty, on Wednesday the Ministry of Health decided to take additional measures to prevent contagion: a mandatory ten-day quarantine for close contacts of people infected with this variant was established.