Omicron variant landed in Netherlands before South Africa alerted WHO

The omicron variant was already in the Netherlands when South Africa alerted the World Health Organization about it last week, Dutch health authorities said on Tuesday, adding to fear and confusion over the new version of the coronavirus in a weary world hoping it had left the worst of the pandemic behind.

The Netherlands' RIVM health institute found omicron in samples dating from November 19 and 23. The WHO said South Africa first reported the variant to the UN healthy agency on November 24.

Authorities in the eastern German city of Leipzig, meanwhile, said on Tuesday they had confirmed an infection with the omicron variant in a 39-year-old man who had neither been abroad nor had contact with anyone who had been, news agency dpa reported.


Meanwhile, Japan and France announced their first cases of the new variant on Tuesday.

French authorities confirmed its presence in the French island territory of Reunion in the Indian Ocean.