Omicron strain is of serious concern for Azerbaijan - Official

"Information on the development and infectivity of the new mutation of the coronavirus Omicron is expected to be available in days to come. We bring to the attention of our citizens that the country's health authorities are monitoring the new strain as well as global experience over mutations and new infections,” the Health Ministry, the State Agency for Compulsory Medical Insurance, and the Association for the Management of Medical Territorial Units (TABIB) said in a joint statement.

"In accordance with the "Strategy of Vaccination against COVID-19 in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2021-2022", the vaccination process continues in stages across the country. The new Omicron variant, which has recently appeared as a result of mutations of the coronavirus, is a serious concern for Azerbaijan, as well as for the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the new version, which was first encountered on November 24, contains a high re-infection rate as against previous mutations and assessed the risk of coronavirus from the Omicron variant as `high’".

"Found in South Africa, the omicron strain has been registered in a short time in many countries, such as the UK, Netherlands, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Italy. Researches show that vaccination is the most efficient way of getting protected against the new and rapidly spreading variants of the virus. As a result of the active involvement of the population in vaccination, the epidemiological situation in Azerbaijan remains stable. The health authorities are urging our citizens to get vaccinated with a booster dose without wasting time to protect themselves from the new strain. In addition to the vaccination, the rules of the special quarantine regime must also be observed. Rules such as maintaining physical distance, using masks and hand hygiene are the only way to prevent the disease and return to normal life, regardless of the variant of the virus,” the statement underscores.

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