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(CNN Spanish) -
The Puerto Rico Department of Health confirmed this Monday the first positive case of the omicron variant, of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, in a person who recently traveled to the state of Florida.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the omicron variant, originally referred to as B.1,1.529, a "variant of concern".
The WHO said preliminary evidence suggests that the omicron variant may pose an increased risk of reinfection and said some of the mutations detected in the variant were concerning.
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What we know about the first omicron case in Puerto Rico
The press spokesperson for the Puerto Rico Department of Health, Lisdián Acevedo, said that “the person has not required hospitalization and the symptoms he reflects are mild to moderate.
It is important to emphasize that the person has completed the vaccine cycle.
We are waiting to know the results of two tests sent to be sequenced that belong to the same family nucleus ”.
Acevedo explained that the detection of the omicron case in Puerto Rico was achieved through the genomic surveillance system maintained by the Department of Health, in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Public Health Trust, the office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention located in San Juan, the Ponce Health Sciences University and the Institute of Public Health Laboratories of Puerto Rico.
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Facts about omicron
The omicron variant was first identified in late November by scientists in South Africa, who have raised the alarm for its unusually high number of mutations.
As part of the efforts to detect omicron cases in Puerto Rico, since last December 6, the Department of Health has been requiring passengers to arrive on the island - regardless of the vaccination status or destination of origin - that complete a Travelers Declaration in order to be able to monitor any symptoms related to covid-19.
This tracking will be carried out through the Sara Alert system.
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Also, travelers who come from a national destination and who are not fully vaccinated, must present a negative coronavirus test carried out 72 hours prior to arrival in Puerto Rico, according to Administrative Bulletin No. OE-2021-037.
In addition, the government reported that it is still in force that passengers who fail to bring a negative test for covid-19 will have to take the same test in Puerto Rico within the first 48 hours after arrival and upload the result to their virtual Declaration profile. of Travelers.
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Similarly, all passengers entering Puerto Rico from an international destination must also meet the requirement of a negative covid-19 test.
Sara Alert is an online tool that allows you to monitor the occurrence of symptoms in travelers entering Puerto Rico.
Through the virtual tool it has been possible to monitor the symptoms of 4,882,262 passengers who have arrived on the island since July 15, 2020. In the period in which Sara Alert has been activated, 6,764 positive cases have been detected and been able to stop the chain of transmission of the virus.