ST. PETERSBURG, December 9. /TASS/. Scores of people who arrived from countries that are seen as a risk due to the Omicron coronavirus strain, have been under observation with suspected COVID-19 cases, and 28 of them have been hospitalized, Head of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing Anna Popova said on Thursday.

"At present, 177 people arriving from countries which reported cases of the new Omicron variant have been sent to an observation facility. That said, 32 of them arrived this morning <…>, and 28 have already been hospitalized. A part of them is based on clinical manifestations, and others on the basis of their PCR results," she told journalists.

According to Popova, two people have been found to be infected with the Omicron strain, and four cases of the Delta strain have been uncovered. Two patients have been also diagnosed with the AH3N2 influenza variant.

On November 26, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the B.1.1.529 variant identified in South Africa as a "Variant of Concern" and assigned it the Greek letter Omicron. In its statement, the WHO noted that "this variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning." The epicenter of the spread of the Omicron strain is southern Africa. The highest number of those infected with it has been detected specifically in South Africa. The new strain has already been recorded in 57 countries. At the same time, not a single fatality has been documented among those infected with Omicron.