Premier Steven Marshall on Friday morning said genome testing was underway for new overnight cases of Covid-19.“We are very concerned about (Omicron),” he said on 5AA Radio.“We don’t have confirmation at this stage so we’re taking it very cautiously.”Premier Steven Marshall said authorities feared Omicron had found its way into SA. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David MariuzMr Marshall said he would attend a national cabinet meeting later in the day to further discuss the newest variant of concern. He noted that Omicron had not moved as quickly as authorities believed it would, but he said there was still limited information about it which was why they were being so cautious. “Sometimes when you get a new case, it takes some time to get that (genome sequencing) assessment.“We’re testing those (overnight cases) to see if they could be cases of Omicron.”The premier said genome sequencing was underway as new Covid-19 cases were recorded overnight. Picture: Naomi JellicoeCases of the strain have already been reported on the east coast.The World Health Organisation declared Omicron a variant of concern in late November because the strain had several mutations that could impact on how it behaved. Across the world, studies on the variant are underway but it is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible than Delta or if it is more deadly or dangerous.
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