China: China has detected its second case of the Omicron coronavirus variant in a traveler. Reportedly, the passenger moved to the country two weeks ago. The detection of the second Omicron infection in th country, poses fresh challenges to governments Zero Covid strategy.
Officials from the southern city of Guangzhou on Tuesday, confirmed the infection, a day after health authorities in the northern port city of Tianjin reported mainland China’s first Omicron infection in a traveler who arrived from overseas. A 67-year-old man, landed in China on November 27 in Shanghai and underwent two weeks of centralized quarantine, during which he repeatedly tested negative. The man then departed from Shanghai to Guangzhou on AirChina flight CA1837. He was tested again on December 12 — a full 15 days after first arriving in China, resulting positive. Subsequent genome sequencing reviewed by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed it was the Omicron variant.
Unlike the Tianjin case, the 67-year-old man was symtpomatic and was isolated for treatment. Nearly, 10,544 people connected to the man have been tested for the virus. So far all results have returned negative. Authorities in virus-hit areas swiftly quarantined residents, suspended businesses, events and tour groups, and halted all transport services.