A first case of the Omicron variant has been confirmed in metropolitan France in a man residing in Île-de-France, detected on his return from a trip to Nigeria, the Regional Health Agency (ARS) announced on Thursday, December 2.
The man, not vaccinated against Covid, is between 50 and 60 years old and did not show symptoms at the time of the test, according to the same source.
His wife, who accompanied him on this trip, also unvaccinated, "
has tested positive for Covid-19 and sequencing is underway to verify whether it is also the Omicron variant
," said the ARS.
The entourage was tested and placed in solitary confinement.
Read also Could the Omicron variant be "good news"?
The traveler returning from Nigeria, who lives in Seine-et-Marne, tested positive for Covid when he got off the plane on November 25. He has remained in solitary confinement at his home with his wife since their arrival in the territory given the positive test result. A third person living under the same roof was tested on Thursday to determine if they were contaminated and, if so, if they are carriers of the variant. This third person is not vaccinated either, said the ARS. So far, a first positive case for the Omicron variant had been identified in France on Reunion Island.
Faced with the threat of the Omicron variant, France announced Wednesday a tightening of the conditions of access to its territory by imposing in particular a negative test for all travelers, even vaccinated, from a country outside the European Union.
The government spokesperson also reported Wednesday of "
13 suspected cases of the Omicron variant in the territory", expecting proven cases "in the next few hours or days
".
