Six cases of the new Omicron coronavirus strain were registered in Turkey, the country’s Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Saturday.
“Six Omicron infections have been registered in Turkey. One case was detected in Istanbul, and five in Ankara,” Koca told reporters. None of those who contracted the disease needs hospitalization, according to the minister.
“These are the patients with negligible symptoms, and they are under outpatient observation without any problems,” Koca added.
The Omicron strain was first detected in South Africa in late November. The World Health Organization designated the strain as a variant of concern.
Amid fears of growing COVID-19 infections, many countries imposed harsher travel restrictions on foreigners arriving from Africa. Despite that, the variant has started to pop up in many countries.
