Greece confirms first case of Omicron coronavirus variant in Crete

Greece has identified its first case of Covid-19 caused by the Omicron variant, Health Minister Thanos Plevris announced Thursday.

The infection was confirmed in a Greek man who lives in Johannesburg and flew from South Africa to Crete for the holidays, Theoklis Zaoutis, the head of the National Organization for Public Health (EODY), said at a joint press conference with Plevris to specify the measures of a new law mandating vaccination for all persons over the age of 60.

The man, who is fully vaccinated, arrived in Crete on November 26 and took a rapid antigen test at the airport which turned up negative.

A second test the next day, after he developed mild symptoms of Covid-19, again received a negative result until a third on November 29 confirmed the infection. Health authorities confirmed on Thursday morning it was the omicron variant.

Zaoutis stated that the man remains in quarantine and his contacts have tested negative.