Nepal Reports 'Omicron Variant' Infections: "2 Cases Including 1 Foreign National"

Nepalese nationals arriving at Tribhuvan International Airport Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-seop] The first case of COVID-19 Omicron variant infection has been detected in Nepal.

According to local media on the 6th, the Nepal Ministry of Health announced that "two people, one domestic and one foreigner, were confirmed to be infected with the Omicron variant for the first time." The foreign confirmed case entered through Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, and the domestic confirmed case was found to have been infected through contact with the foreigner.

The Omicron variant is known to be more transmissible than the Delta variant, which hit India and other countries earlier this year. It has been detected in at least 45 countries, including the United States, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, and Germany, centered around South Africa.