Health official confirms the development, says infected male\u2019s contacts were traced and subsequently quarantined.
\n Islamabad
\nIslamabad\u2019s first case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus was confirmed on Saturday, a health official said.
\nIslamabad District Health Officer (DHO) Zaeem Zia told that the case was detected in a 47-year-old male, adding that he was working in Islamabad and had travelled out of city for work-related purposes.
\nThe patient had no history of travelling abroad, he said.
\nZia said the variant was confirmed as Omicron following its gene-sequencing, adding that 10 contacts of the patient were traced and subsequently isolated\/quarantined.
\n\u201cAmid the looming threats of Omicron variant, our health teams are prepared to respond as they did in previous waves\/variants diligently,\u201d he said.
\nThe DHO urged people to follow Covid-19 standard operating procedures, get vaccinated and get booster shots if eligible.
\nIslamabad Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Hamza Shafqaat also confirmed the development, adding that the patient had a travel history from Karachi.
\nOn Tuesday, 12 suspected cases of coronavirus\u2019 Omicron variant were reported in Balochistan. Their samples were sent to the National Institute of Health in Islamabad for confirmation of the variant\u2019s presence after gene-sequencing.
\nPakistan reported its first suspected case of the Omicron variant on December 8. Following its gene-sequencing, Aga Khan University Hospital confirmed it as the new variant on Dec 13.
\nIn a statement, the hospital had said the patient was at home and doing well. So far, no other patients at the hospital had been confirmed to have the Omicron variant, it had added.
\nOn Dec 18, health department sources told Dawn that another case of the variant had emerged in a 35-year-old man in Karachi who had arrived from the United Kingdom on Dec 8.
\n\u201cHis genome sequencing report stating that the infection appeared to be of Omicron has been sent to the National Institute of Health for further confirmation,\u201d an official had said on the condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Health official confirms the development, says infected male\u2019s contacts were traced and subsequently quarantined. Islamabad Islamabad\u2019s first case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus was confirmed on Saturday, a health official said. Islamabad District Health Officer (DHO) Zaeem Zia told that the case was detected in a 47-year-old male, adding that he was working […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":234986,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[388,579,959],"class_list":{"0":"post-234977","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-covid","9":"tag-islamabad","10":"tag-omicron"},"yoast_head":"\n