THE first COVID-19 infection involving the Omicron variant has been officially confirmed in the Valencian Community.
The contagious coronavirus strain has been detected in a patient who has presented mild symptoms.
No details about his or her vaccination status has been given.
Confirmation of the new variant case was made after tests carried out at Elche General Hospital.
The Valencian Health Ministry said the probable origin of the infection was at a meal in Valencia City.
The patient had not travelled to any high risk Omicron country.
It is the 37th confirmed Omicron case in Spain, with 17 infections occurring among travellers who had returned from South Africa or people who had close contact with them.
The Ministry said that Omicron ‘is already circulating in the Valencia and Alicante areas’.
It added that it had been only ‘a matter of time’ before cases spread to the Valencian Community.
The Ministry admitted that Omicron was more widespread in the region rather than the single confirmed case and that they see it becoming the dominant COVID-19 strain, as Delta cases fall.
READ MORE:-