TEHRAN: Iran has detected the first case of the coronavirus Omicron variant, deputy health minister Kamal Heidari told state television Sunday.
An Iranian man from Tehran had tested positive after returning from the United Arab Emirates.
"We detected him very quickly and immediately quarantined him and the contact cases," Heidari said.
Omicron coronavirus variant spreading fast in Italy
An emergency meeting has been held to discuss ways to stop any spread of the variant, including a proposal to temporarily close schools.
Iran, the worst-hit country in the Middle East during the coronavirus pandemic, has recorded 130,000 deaths.
Scientists remain uncertain how dangerous the highly mutated Omicron variant is.
But early data suggests it can be more resistant to vaccines and is more transmissible than the Delta variant.
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