Paraguay confirms first 3 Omicron cases: Health Ministry

Asuncion: Paraguay's Ministry of Public Health announced on Monday the first three Omicron cases in the country.

All three cases are in previously vaccinated young people with an average age of 18 who came from the Mexican city of Cancun.

"The head of health care oversight department announced today three positive cases of the variant of concern Omicron confirmed in travellers from Cancun," the health ministry said.

The infected and their respective contacts are currently in quarantine.

The new coronavirus strain, which was later called "Omicron," was first detected in South Africa in November. The strain is reported to have far more mutations than the Delta and other strains and is believed to be more dangerous and vaccine-resistant. Many European countries have closed their borders to foreigners arriving from African countries.