Malta has not identified any Omicron cases so far, the health authorities have confirmed.
The new Covid-19 variant has been found in several European countries, leading the authorities in some Member States to rush to impose new restrictions.
The South African variant is believed to be more easily transmissible than the normal Covid-19 strain.
The Health Ministry told The Malta Independent that all positive cases are being tested using a method called genome sequencing. This is that same method that was used to identify cases of the Delta variant.
The health authorities found 106 new cases on Tuesday.
Japan identified its first Omicron case on Tuesday. Several European countries, including the UK, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Portugal have reported cases.
The World Health Organization warned Monday that the global risk from the omicron variant is “very high” based on the early evidence, saying the mutated coronavirus could lead to surges with “severe consequences.”
The assessment from the U.N. health agency, contained in a technical paper issued to member states, amounted to WHO's strongest, most explicit warning yet about the new version that was first identified days ago by researchers in South Africa.
On Tuesday, the EU’s medical agency chief said that it is ready to deal with the new omicron variant, and that it will take two weeks to have an indication whether the current COVID-19 vaccines will be able to deal with it.
Emer Cooke, the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency, said that if it does require a new vaccine to counter omicron, it will take up to four months to have it approved for use in the 27-nation bloc.
“We are prepared,” Cooke told EU lawmakers, adding that cooperation with the medical industry is already ongoing to prepare for such an eventuality. “We know that at some stage there will be a mutation that means we have to change the current approach.”
Cooke said that it was important to assess “the cross-neutralization” of the vaccines to see if they do provide protection against the new variant. “That’s a process that takes about two weeks.”
So far, the vaccines have been able to deal with all variants they came across, she said. She added that if there was a need to adapt the vaccines, "I want to assure you that we’re working with the companies and with other regulators to make sure that we’re as prepared and ready as possible.”
“Were there a need to change the existing vaccines, we could be in a position to have those approved within three to four months,” she said.