Venezuela reports first omicron variant cases

The first seven cases of the omicron variant were confirmed in Venezuela by President Nicolás Maduro at a televised government event.

The cases, detected in Caracas and two other states, came from passengers who arrived from Panama, Dominican Republic and Spain, according to information read by Maduro on state TV. The omicron cases detected came after the Venezuelan government eased Covid-19 quarantine restrictions for the entire months of November and December, making room for holiday celebrations.