Tianjin City in northern China detected the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in a person who came from overseas, local health authorities revealed on Monday, the first known Omicron infection found on the Chinese mainland.
Details about the person’s nationality or travel history were not released immediately.
Officials said the individual is an asymptomatic COVID-19 patient and its respiratory specimen has shown the existence of the Omicron variant on December 9 after tests ran by Tianjin health authorities and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the result.
This individual has been under closed loop management since entering Tianjin and is now being treated in segregation at the hospital.