Zimbabwe Confirms First Case of Omicron Variant

Zimbabwe has confirmed the presence of the Omicron coronavirus in the country.

Speaking on state TV, Vice-President and Health Minister Constantino Chiwenga said that it followed genome sequencing but gave no further details.

New Covid cases rose sharply this week, with 712 new cases recorded on Wednesday, with the government re-imposing curfews, mandatory testing and quarantines for travelers to prevent a fourth wave.

Zimbabwe is among the southern African countries facing travel bans by western countries including the European Union, the UK and the US.