Happy Monday! Today, fears about Omicron variant increase in Brazil, as the country gets its first suspected case. Brazil gets some relief from energy crisis risk, but problem is not yet solved.
Omicron may have already arrived
Brazilian federal health regulators Anvisa confirmed yesterday that a Brazilian national recently tested positive for the coronavirus after arriving from South Africa. However, it remains uncertain whether the patient carries the much-feared Omicron variant, known formally as B.1.1.529. The 29-year-old man lives in Guarulhos, in Greater São Paulo, and was placed under a 14-day quarantine.
What happened. The man arrived at São Paulo-Guarulhos Airport on an Ethiopian Airlines flight, presenting a negative RT-PCR test and showing no symptoms of a Covid infection. On Saturday night, Anvisa was informed that a new test at the airport’s lab came back positive — and will monitor all passengers in the flight.
- It remains unclear who the man had contact with before his infection was known.
Too late? Last week, Anvisa recommended the government to restrict flights from six southern African countries due to Omicron fears. The Bolsonaro administration initially ruled out that possibility, but backpedaled and published an ordinance following the recommendation — effective today.
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