Dhaka [Bangladesh], December 11 (ANI): Bangladesh has detected its first cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, said the country's Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Saturday.

The Omicron variant was detected in two female cricketers of the Bangladesh Cricket Team, the health minister said, adding the cricketers returned to the country recently from Zimbabwe, Xinhua reported.

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"They are now in institutional isolation at a hotel in Dhaka, and their condition is currently stable," he said.

Health Minister Maleque said all necessary measures have been taken over the new coronavirus variant.

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The Bangladesh government has recently made 14 days of institutional quarantine mandatory for those returning from seven African countries as part of precautionary measures to rein in the new variant of the COVID-19, Xinhua reported.

On Saturday, Bangladesh reported 177 new cases and five new deaths from COVID-19, bringing its total tally to 15,78,996 with the death toll standing at 28,022. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)