Bulgaria detects first cases of Omicron coronavirus variant

Bulgaria has detected its first 12 cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the Balkan country's chief health inspector Angel Kunchev said on Sunday.

"We have confirmed the new variant in samples from 12 people," Kunchev told reporters.

Kunchev said the infected people, mainly from the capital Sofia, were experiencing mild symptoms and none was hospitalised.