By Ali Cura
MOSCOW (AA) - Russia on Monday reported 16 more cases of omicron coronavirus variant.
The new variant was detected in 16 people out of 177 that arrived in Russia from South Africa, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova told the parliament.
Noting that all patients are currently under observation, she stressed the high rate of infection risk.
On Dec. 6, Russia reported its first cases of the omicron coronavirus variant.
Following the developments, the Moscow administration announced a 14-day quarantine on people arriving from Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Eswatini, South Africa, and Hong Kong.
On Nov. 26, the World Health Organization declared the strain a "variant of concern."
Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed over 5.3 million lives in at least 192 countries and regions, with more than 270.21 million cases reported worldwide, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University.