The Omicron variant of concern (VOC) of the COVID19 virus has been detected in a traveller who arrived in St Vincent and the Grenadines from the United States on December 18.

A release from the Health Services Sub-Committee of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) said the fully vaccinated traveller arrived with a negative COVID19 test and was subjected to further testing on arrival. The person has been isolated.

“The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment was informed on December 27, 2021 by  CARPHA of the COVID-19 sequencing results of positive samples collected from patients in St.  Vincent and the Grenadines on December 18, 2021, received at the CARPHA lab on December  24, 2021 and sent to the COVID19 IMPACT Project lab on December 24, 2021. The COVID19  IMPACT project lab reported on December 27, 2021 to CARPHA that the Omicron variant of  concern (VOC) – B.1.1.529 was detected in one sample,” the release dated December 27, 2021 said.

The release also said that sequencing results of samples sent to the COVID19 IMPACT Project lab for December 2021  suggests that the Delta variant is now the dominant Variant of Concern (VOC) in SVG,  displacing the Lambda variant.