China detects first case of Omicron coronavirus variant on the mainland
CNN
China has detected its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant on the mainland, posing a fresh challenge to the country's zero-Covid strategy in the lead-up to the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Health authorities in the northern port city of Tianjin were able to identify and isolate the carrier of the variant -- a traveler who arrived from overseas on December 9, before it entered into the community, state media reported Monday.
The infected individual was initially identified as an asymptomatic carrier. Subsequent genome sequencing reviewed by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed it was the Omicron variant, according to state media.
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