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The Omicron variant of Covid-19 has reportedly been detected in East Java. The first patient who was detected as infected was said to be a Surabaya resident who had been on vacation from Bali.
This was revealed by Maria Inge Lusida, the Head of the Institute of Tropical Disease of Universitas Airlangga in Surabaya.
The Institute of Tropical Disease had received a sample of the patient with a low CT value on Tuesday, December 28, 2021. ITD immediately carried out whole-genome sequencing.
“On 28 [December 2021], we screened it. Last night the detection of Omicron was confirmed,” she said.
“Later on the Minister of Health will give the explanation. Now we are afraid of being wrong,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, cumulatively, the total number of Covid-19 cases in East Java was 400,081 people, 370,237 recovered and 29,746 died.
Previously, the Chair of the Curative Clump of the East Java Covid-19 Handling Task Force, Joni Wahyuhadi, asked residents to increase the discipline of health protocols.