Portugal's professional football club detects 13 cases of new COVID variant Omicron

The detection of a case of the highly infectious COVID-19's new variant Omicron in South Africa has the world worried. In a latest development, Portugal has reported at least 13 cases of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron among the team members of a professional football club. Portuguese newspaper Observador reported this on November 29 and cited the sample analysis report carried out at the National Institute of Health Doctor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), the media outlet said that those who tested positive at the Lisbon-based Belenenses football club had recently travelled to South Africa. 

Subsequently, the Ricardo Jorge National Health Institute ordered the close aides/relatives/friends of those found positive for the new COVID variant must undergo quarantine irrespective of their vaccination status. The institute also directed the people to regularly go for the COVID-19 test until the test results of the players turn negative. "In order to ensure the breaking of transmission chains and following precautionary principles of public health (and) while awaiting more information regarding the transmission, impact and vaccine effectiveness against the Omicron variant, health authorities ordered the isolation of the cases," INews quoted the statement released by the Portuguese health authority.

Portugal invoked new restrictions last week

Besides, the health authorities also directed those who were on the same flight must also go under isolation or regularly go for COVID tests. In order to avoid any untoward situation, the health ministry ordered to conduct mass testing of nearly 218 passengers who were on a different flight from Maputo in Mozambique to Lisbon on 27 November. It is worth mentioning two of the passengers were tested for COVID-19 on the flight, of which one has a Delta variant while the test result of another passenger is yet to come.

Notably, the country has a good vaccination status-- with more than 87% of the population receiving both doses of the vaccine. Despite such a high vaccination rate, Portugal brought in new restrictions last week after a surge in coronavirus cases. The government has also advised the citizen to follow basic COVID protocols such as wearing face masks, regular washing of hands and maintaining proper distance. Besides, those who are vaccinated must furnish proof to enter nightclubs, bars, hotels, restaurants and large events, reported INews.

Know more about the Omicron variant

The first case of a new COVID variant was detected in South Africa and has also been detected in travellers from Hong Kong and Botswana. It is worth mentioning that South Africa has reported nearly 200 cases of Coronavirus in the past two weeks ago. However, with the emergence of the newly detected variant, the cases in the country went up to 2,465. Notably, the difference of nearly 2,400 cases was reported within a gap of three days. The scientific community was concerned with the transmissibility of the new variant as it went from barely detected to spreading among the majority of the samples.

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