China reports its first case of the Omicron variant

China reported its first case of the rapidly spreading variant of the Omicron coronavirus, state media reported Monday.

Authorities in northeast China’s Tianjin city confirmed the case in a person who arrived from an undisclosed country, according to the Tianjin Daily newspaper.

The asymptomatic patient, in isolation in a hospital, gave positive in the Covid-19 test last Thursday and other tests detected “the variant Omicron“, according to the report.

The most populous country in the world It is on high alert for possible outbreaks as it prepares to host the Beijing Winter Olympics in February.

Omicron appears to spread more rapidly than the delta variant, making the vaccines less effective but causing less severe symptoms, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

China, where the coronavirus appeared in late 2019, has reduced the number of new cases of the virus thanks to strict border restrictions, massive testing and selective closures. The country registered 101 infections on Monday (21 imported), according to the National Health Commission.