Islamabad reports its first confirmed case of Omicron

Islamabad's first case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus was confirmed on Saturday, a health official said.

Islamabad District Health Officer (DHO) Zaeem Zia told that the case was detected in a 47-year-old male, adding that he was working in Islamabad and had travelled out of city for work-related purposes.

The patient had no history of travelling abroad, he said.

Zia said the variant was confirmed as Omicron following its gene-sequencing, adding that 10 contacts of the patient were traced and subsequently isolated/quarantined.
"Amid the looming threats of Omicron variant, our health teams are prepared to respond as they did in previous waves/variants diligently," he said.

The DHO urged people to follow Covid-19 standard operating procedures, get vaccinated and get booster shots if eligible.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Hamza Shafqaat also confirmed the development, adding that the patient had a travel history from Karachi.