Brazil reports two cases of Omicron variant, first in Latin America

Brazil's health regulator Anvisa said on Tuesday that laboratory analysis had found two Brazilian cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, the first reported cases in Latin America.

Anvisa said a traveler arriving in Sao Paulo from South Africa and his wife had both apparently contracted the variant. The traveler landed at Guarulhos international airport on Nov. 23 with a negative test for COVID-19. But before a planned return trip, the couple tested positive and the samples were sent for further analysis, which identified the Omicron variant.

The samples will be sent for a second confirmatory analysis, the regulator said.

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