A medical worker collects a swab sample from a woman for COVID-19 test at Al-Shati Clinic in Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, Dec. 26, 2021. The Hamas-run health ministry announced on Sunday that it has recorded the first Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the besieged Gaza Strip.(Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
GAZA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Hamas-run health ministry announced on Sunday that it has recorded the first Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Health ministry official Majdi Dhair confirmed the infection during a press conference at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza city. He said the infection had shown the Omicron variant was "present and widespread in the society."
The Gaza Strip "is on the verge of a difficult stage and a powerful fourth wave, as expected," he added.
Dhair urged rapid preparation to confront the virus's fourth wave and get out of it with minimum losses.
According to the official, to deal with any unsustainable increase in the number of infection cases, the ministry has boosted its preparedness by providing more skilled medical personnel and increasing the number of beds available.
However, the health ministry in Gaza needs laboratory equipment "to facilitate the greatest number of tests to check coronavirus," he said. Enditem
A medical worker packs collected swab samples for COVID-19 test at Al-Shati Clinic in Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, Dec. 26, 2021. The Hamas-run health ministry announced on Sunday that it has recorded the first Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the besieged Gaza Strip.(Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
