Suspected Omicron Covid cases found in Germany and Czech Republic

Scientists checking for B.1.1.529 variant in two travellers recently returned from southern Africa

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The first suspected cases of the Omicron Covid variant in Germany and the Czech Republic are being investigated, as Dutch authorities scramble to see if 61 passengers from South Africa who tested positive for Covid-19 have the new variant.

Omicron, first identified in South Africa and known officially as B.1.1.529, has already been detected in travellers in Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel, according to reports.