Saudis, UAE detect first cases of new coronavirus variant

Associated Press
Updated ·1 min read

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said Wednesday they detected their first cases of the new coronavirus variant, recording the first known instances of omicron infections in the Persian Gulf region.

Saudi Arabia’s state-run Saudi Press Agency said its case was a citizen coming from what it described as a “North African country.” The report said the infected individual and his close contacts had been quarantined.

The UAE also reported its first case of infection with the omicron variant late Wednesday. State-run WAM news agency described the patient as an African woman who traveled from an African country through an Arab country, without specifying which nations.

Much remains unknown about the new variant, which has been identified in more than 20 countries, including whether it is more contagious, whether it makes people more seriously ill, and whether it can thwart the vaccine.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said more would be known about the omicron strain in two to four weeks as scientists grow and test lab samples of the virus.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Pass or Fail: The New York Mets' 2024 City Connect uniforms

    The Mets are one of eight teams debuting City Connect uniforms this season.

  • Paramount stock soars as Wall Street sees possible Sony, Apollo buyout as 'positive' for all shareholders

    Paramount is currently in exclusive merger talks with David Ellison's Skydance Media.

  • The EPA is again allowing summer sales of higher ethanol gasoline blend, citing global conflicts

    The Environmental Protection Agency cleared the way Friday for a higher blend of ethanol to be sold nationwide for the third summer in a row, citing global conflicts that it says are putting pressure on the world's fuel supply. The agency announced an emergency waiver that will exempt gasoline blended with 15% ethanol from an existing summertime ban. Gasoline with 10% ethanol is already sold nationwide, but the higher blend has been prohibited in the summer because of concerns it could worsen smog during warm weather.

  • Netflix stock sinks on disappointing revenue forecast, move to scrap membership metrics

    Netflix reported first quarter earnings after the bell on Thursday. Here's what to know.

  • IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Jack Antonoff slams Kanye West again

    During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week, the musician/record producer poked fun at the Stronger rapper. In the interview, host Jimmy asked Jack why he is "more inclined to work with female artists," after noting that he has worked with the likes of Taylor Swift, Florence + The Machine, Lorde and St. Vincent. "There's two people that I think are too oversensitive to even function, and it's men and members of the music industry. The amount of sensitivity - it's sort of like watching Kanye.”

  • Crews turn sights to removing debris from ship's deck in Baltimore bridge collapse cleanup

    Salvage crews at the site of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore are turning their focus to the thousands of tons of debris sitting atop the Dali, a massive cargo ship that veered off course and caused the deadly catastrophe last month. An estimated 3,000 to 4,000 tons of steel and concrete landed on the ship’s deck after it crashed into one of the bridge’s supporting columns and toppled the span, officials said at a news conference Friday. Crews will have to remove all that before refloating the stationary ship and guiding it back into the Port of Baltimore.

  • Wells Fargo bond saleswoman sues over 'unapologetically sexist' workplace

    Wells Fargo was accused of sex discrimination in a lawsuit by a bond saleswoman who said the fourth-largest U.S. bank denied pay and promotions available to men and tolerated an "unapologetically sexist" workplace. The complaint filed on Friday in federal court in Chicago by Michal Leavitt is the latest in a long line of lawsuits accusing big U.S. banks of bias against women. Leavitt said Wells Fargo's practice of steering larger accounts toward men in its financial institutions group cost her up to one-third of her potential pay, and forced her to wait nine years for a promotion to director from vice president.

  • New Home Sales Due Next Week in Canada

    Monday U.S. Featured Earnings Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) (Q1) EPS of $1.12, ...

  • Cannabis seizures at checkpoints by US-Mexico border frustrates state-authorized pot industry

    The U.S. Border Patrol is asserting its authority to seize cannabis shipments — including commercial, state-authorized supplies — as licensed cannabis providers file complaints that more than $300,000 worth of marijuana has been confiscated in recent months at highway checkpoints in southern New Mexico. New Mexico's Democratic governor says the disruptions prompted a discussion this week with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose impeachment charges were dismissed this week. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says she voiced concerns that the scrutiny of cannabis companies appears to be greater in New Mexico than states with regulated markets that aren't along the U.S. border with Mexico.

  • MPs chide 'incompetent' health agency over fired National Microbiology Lab scientists

    OTTAWA — Federal officials in charge of the National Microbiology Lab are defending security protocols at the Winnipeg institution against accusations of incompetence from opposition MPs. The head of the Public Health Agency of Canada appeared before a parliamentary committee on relations between Canada and China, where she was peppered with questions about the firing of two researchers in 2021. The agency fired two researchers who left Canada after their security clearances were revoked over qu

  • Soviet-era tech and 1970s American jets: Inside Iran’s ageing air defences

    Israel’s strike on Iran early on Friday appears to have been fairly limited.

  • Man Sets Himself on Fire Outside Donald Trump's Manhattan Trial

    "Someone has set himself on fire in the protest area here at the Donald Trump trial," a Fox News reporter said during a live broadcast Friday

  • N.B. environment minister resigns, citing political differences with Higgs's Tories

    FREDERICTON — New Brunswick's Environment Minister has announced his resignation, citing political differences with the Progressive Conservative party led by Premier Blaine Higgs. Gary Crossman says in a social media post today that his health must be his priority and he feels it's time to "step aside." He says he is resigning immediately from cabinet and will step down from his duties as the Progressive Conservative member for the Hampton district in the coming days. The 69-year-old was first e

  • Nigeria's NNPC, First E&P venture produce 20,000 barrels of crude at OML 85

    Nigeria's NNPC Ltd and its local joint venture partner, First E&P, have commenced production at OML 85 and achieved 20,000 barrels per day (bps) output, the state-oil firm said in a statement on Friday. OML 85 was one of two blocks sold to First Exploration and Petroleum Development Company Limited (First E&P) in 2015 by Chevron. That and OML 83 are located between 30 to 40 km offshore in the central Niger Delta, where water depths range from 15 to 50 metres.

  • Man sets himself on fire outside Donald Trump hush money trial in New York

    People rushed to douse the person with a fire extinguisher and try to bat the flames away, according to reports

  • Trump Media Stock Has Fallen So Much It’s Blaming Short Sellers

    Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group seem custom fit for a short seller to target. The stock has since plummeted, and TMTG CEO Devin Nunes thinks some short sellers aren’t playing fair. Nunes wrote a letter to Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman on Thursday asking her to look into potential market manipulation of the stock, which trades on the Nasdaq exchange.

  • Nova Scotia Health contacting 2,690 patients after privacy breach

    Nova Scotia Health said it will be contacting 2,690 patients after their personal information was "inappropriately accessed" at Saint Martha's Regional Hospital in Antigonish, N.S."We are extremely disappointed that an employee of Nova Scotia Health would engage in activity of this nature. Nova Scotia Health will not tolerate any unauthorized access or snooping," Derek Spinney, the health authority's chief financial officer and vice-president of corporate services, told reporters on Friday.Spinn

  • Mandisa, Grammy-winning gospel singer and ‘Idol’ contestant from Sacramento area, dies at 47

    Mandisa, a Grammy-winning gospel singer and former "American Idol" contestant from the Sacramento area, has died. She was 47. Mandisa was found dead at her home on Thursday from unknown causes, her social media accounts said.

  • Advocacy groups speak out against domestic violence comments by Nova Scotia minister

    HALIFAX — Several Nova Scotia organizations that assist women spoke out Friday against comments on domestic violence made by the province’s justice minister, and one called for his departure. Natasha Hines, executive director of Wellness Within, which deals with the reproductive health of women, transgender and nonbinary people, called comments by Brad Johns “ignorant and dangerous,” and she said in an interview that he should either resign or be fired. On Thursday, Johns disputed a public inqui

  • Quebec labour code doesn't infringe rights of casino managers, Supreme Court rules

    OTTAWA — Excluding front-line supervisors at a Montreal casino from organizing under the Quebec labour-relations regime does not infringe their constitutional rights, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled. In a decision Friday, the top court said barring managers from the regime through a provision of the Quebec labour code is not a violation of their Charter guarantee of freedom of association. Seventy per cent of the operation supervisors assigned to gaming tables at Casino de Montréal were me