New York [US], December 23 (ANI/Sputnik): Venezuela has confirmed the first seven cases of the Omicron version of the coronavirus, President Nicolas Maduro said.

"The first seven cases of Omicron have been discovered. This is inevitable ... Omicron has come to our country, it is very contagious," the president said on late Wednesday.

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The patients have arrived from Panama, Spain and the Dominican Republic.

"The vaccination is the best protection from Omicron," Maduro added.

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The World Health Organization during an emergency meeting on November 26 designated the new COVID-19 strain as a "variant of concern" and called it Omicron. The variant first originated in South Africa and is spreading around the world with more and more countries reporting on Omicron cases. The spread of Omicron prompted many countries to close borders for foreigners arriving from Africa regardless of whether they hold a vaccination or recovery certificate or a negative coronavirus test. (ANI/Sputnik)

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