Brazil sees 2 confirmed omicron cases, Latin America’s 1st

By MAURICIO SAVARESE
Associated Press

SAO PAULO (AP) — Health officials in Brazil have reported the country’s first confirmed cases of the omicron variant in two travelers returning from South Africa, the first such cases in Latin America.

The Sao Paulo state health secretariat said a 41-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman are in isolation.

They had their tests taken on Nov. 25 and showed light symptoms of the disease at the time.

Latin America has suffered heavily from the coronavirus pandemic, with Brazil alone reporting more than 600,000 deaths, a figure that analysts believe to be undercounted.

Brazil does not require COVID-19 vaccination from foreign travelers entering the country.