On December 5, two cases of Covid-19 Omicron were identified in the E. Gulbja laboratory, currently around 50 suspected cases are being tested in the laboratories, Pavluts told Latvian Television.
The Minister said that the government's action was aimed at identifying the Omicron strain in Latvia as soon as possible, but now the government should do everything to prevent the further spread of the new type among the population.
At the moment, however, it is still unclear whether the new type is more dangerous than others and how vaccination against Covid-19 is affected by its prevalence. Therefore, it is also not clear whether the government has made a mistake in allowing untested people to arrive in Latvia, the minister said.
Overall, the situation with Covid-19 morbidity is currently better in Latvia than in most European countries, said Pavļuts. “It is important to understand whether Omicron is able to overcome the protection of [Covid-19] disease and vaccination,” the health minister added.