PRAIA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) — The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is already circulating in Cape Verde, said Maria da Luz Lima, the president of the National Institute of Public Health (INSP), urging people to get vaccinated and comply with preventive measures.

More than 300 samples sent a week ago to the Institut Pasteur in Dakar showed that 87 percent of them indicated the presence of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus, said Lima on Tuesday.

Lima recalled that the variant, according to studies, is 30 percent more communicable than previous Delta or Alfa variants, which is why she urged people to be very careful because there is always a likelihood of serious infections, especially in people who have not been vaccinated.

On Monday, the National Director of Health Jorge Barreto had already raised the possibility that the new variant was the cause of the lack of epidemiological control in Cape Verde in recent days.

He also announced that people aged 18 years and above can apply for a COVID-19 booster shot to Cape Verde health services starting on Tuesday.

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