KATHMANDU: Nepal has witnessed two cases of Omicron, a new variant of coronavirus of late.

According to Ministry of Health and Population sources, a 66-year-old foreigner and a 71-year old man who came with him from South Africa have tested positive Omicron variant.

Krishna Prasad Poudel, the spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population, informed that both infected are in home isolation. Both of the infected are the foreign nationals.

“After the gene sequencing at the National Public Health Laboratory, both of them tested positive,” Spokesperson Poudel informed.

The Ministry had sent the samples collected from the suspected two people for gene sequencing which were identified as Omicron variant on Sunday evening.

According to the World Health Organization, there have been 576 confirmed cases of Omicron in 36 countries, including Nepal.