Islamabad has reported its first case of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, the District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Zaeen Zia confirmed on Saturday.
The case was detected in a 47-year-old male, adding that he was working in Islamabad and had traveled out of the city for work-related purposes.
The patient had no history of traveling 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 basic health precautions and get vaccinated as well as booster shots if eligible.
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Hamza Shafqaat also confirmed the case.