Mexico confirms 1st case of omicron variant

Mexico's Health Department announced on Friday that it had detected the country's first case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The first case was detected in a South African citizen who entered Mexico on November 21, and began to feel ill on November 27. They were being treated in isolation at a private hospital in Mexico City. Mexico has no travel restrictions, testing requirements or mandatory quarantine for travellers and calls such measures "useless," saying they "do more harm than good."

The newest variant was discovered just over a week ago by scientists in South Africa and Botswana, and now it has been found in multiple countries.