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Israel Records Two Cases of New COVID-19 Variant

The new strain is a combination of two sub-variants, BA.1 and BA.2, of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus.

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Israel’s Ministry of Health said in a statement on Wednesday, 16 March, that it has recorded two cases of a new coronavirus variant.

The new strain is a combination of two sub-variants, dubbed BA.1 and BA.2, of the Omicron version of the COVID-19 virus. The new cases were recorded during PCR tests on two passengers arriving at Israel's Ben Gurion airport, AFP reported.

The Israel government's statement read:

“The two cases of the combined strain, which have been discovered so far, suffered from mild symptoms of fever, headaches and muscle dystrophy, and do not require a special medical response."

It added, “This variant is still unknown around the world," the ministry statement read.”

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Over four million people in Israel have received three coronavirus vaccine shots with the government ready to offer a fourth vaccine to the elderly and healthcare workers. Israel was one of the first countries to start a national vaccination campaign in December 2020.

Last month, Israel announced that unvaccinated tourists will be allowed to enter the country as COVID-19 cases subside.

Meanwhile, India has restored, with immediate effect, all valid five year e-tourist visas that are given to nationals of 156 countries along with regular paper visa to citizens of all countries, nearly two years after their suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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