Poland reports its first case of omicron COVID-19 variant

Poland has detected its first case of the omicron COVID-19 variant, public health authorities announced on Thursday.

Polish Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska.

Photo: PAP/Wojciech Olkuśnik

The new, highly contagious variant was confirmed by health authorities in the southern city of Katowice in a 30-year-old woman from Lesotho, Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska told lawmakers in parliament, as cited by the state-run news agency PAP.

The Polish health ministry said in a tweet that the patient, "a 30-year-old Lesotho national," was being kept isolated and "feeling good" overall.

ℹ️ Potwierdzamy wykrycie wirusa w wersji Omicron przez WSSE Katowice. Mutacja została stwierdzona w próbce pobranej od 30-letniej obywatelki Lesotho. Pacjentka jest w izolatorium i czuje się dobrze. @GIS_gov podjął niezbędne działania.

— Ministerstwo Zdrowia (@MZ_GOV_PL) December 16, 2021

Poland on Thursday reported 22,097 new coronavirus infections and 592 more deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the country's total number of cases during the pandemic to 3,903,445 and fatalities to 90,306.

A range of new coronavirus restrictions took effect across the country on Wednesday as it seeks to fend off the new, highly contagious omicron variant.

(gs)

Source: PAP