Sierra Leone has officially announced that the country has recorded its first positive case of the COVID-19 Omicron Variant.
The announcement was made through a joint statement from the National Covid-19 Emergency Response Centre (NaCOVERC) and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation.
It says on the 25th November 2021, samples were obtained from inbound passengers, one of which turned out to be positive by PCR for Covid-19 which later proved to be positive for the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529).
The reported case is from a passenger who travelled from Nigeria to Sierra Leone on 25th November 2021.
“The detection of the first Omicron case demonstrates our unflinching commitment to testing and surveillance, as well as our country’s genomic sequencing capabilities. NaCOVERC and MoHS will remain vigilant at points of entry (including the Freetown International Airport), and hereby call on everyone to bear personal responsibility for health and safety especially at this crucial festive season,” the NaCOVERC statement reads.
The statement ends by calling on everyone to remain calm and report all suspected cases of COVID-19 to 117.
