The Director of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) Haider, Al-Sayeh, has said that the new Omicron variant of Covid-19 detected in six African and European countries so far has become a concern.

The new Omicron variant was first reported to the World Health Organization from South Africa on 24 November.

Al-Sayeh warned that it would take weeks to understand the impact of the new variant or how transmissible it was, and by then, "it could be too late."

Outlining some measures to shield the country from the Omicron variant, the NCDC head said they might reintroduce restrictions in response to the situation, and called on ministries, public agencies, the media, and influencers on social media to play their role.

The municipalities will have a crucial role in containing the coming wave, Al-Sayeh said, calling on the authorities to commit to paying the salaries of the teams tackling the pandemic for their significant efforts.