A medical worker collects a sample from a person for a test in December of 2021.
The first case of the omicron Covid variant was reported by mainland China in the city of Tianjin, which is about two hours from the capital of Beijing.
The omicron case was found in a traveler from overseas, who showed no symptoms but tested positive for it on Thursday. The patient is in a hospital.
The United Kingdom reported the first confirmed death from the omicron variant on Monday. The new variant of coronaviruses was first reported in South Africa in late November and has raised concerns about the efficacy of existing coronaviruses vaccines.
Covid-19 first appeared in mainland China. The country was able to control the outbreak within months.
In the last 18 months, only a small number of Covid-19 cases have been reported in mainland China. The southeastern part of the country has seen a resurgence of Covid cases.
There were 51 confirmed cases and 25 attributed to travelers from overseas on the mainland.
