What is the risk of the new variant of coronavirus called omicron?
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(CNN) -
Health authorities in the Czech Republic are investigating a suspected case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus in a traveler who recently arrived from Namibia, the Czech National Institute of Public Health said in a statement emailed to CNN this Saturday.
The institute said a PCR test indicated that the infection could have been caused by the omicron variant, but added that a full sequencing of the sample must be completed to confirm this.
He said sequencing work is underway.
If confirmed, it would be the first case of the new and potentially more transmissible variant in the Czech Republic.
The Czech government has also imposed a travel ban on foreign travelers from eight African countries.
As of midnight local time on November 27, foreign travelers from South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique will not be allowed to enter the Czech Republic, according to the government website.
Czech citizens and permanent residents returning to the Czech Republic can come, but will have to remain in isolation for 10 days.
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