TUNIS, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia detected two cases of the new Omicron variant BA.2, a senior health official said on Monday.
"The detection of two cases of infections by the Omicron variant BA.2 does not constitute a danger for the health situation in Tunisia," Hechmi Louzir, director general of the Pasteur Institute of Tunis, was quoted as saying by Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP).
Louzir explained that the Omicron variant BA.2 seems to spread more quickly than the Omicron BA.1 variant which is dominant in Tunisia and other countries across the globe, adding that Tunisia follows this subvariant very closely.
The senior health official stressed that the health situation in Tunisia is improving since the number of infections by the COVID-19 has experienced a decrease in recent days.
According to the latest figures released by the Tunisian Health Ministry, 2,095 new COVID-19 cases have been detected on Sunday, raising the total number of infections in the country to 967,052.
The death toll from the virus rose by 15 to 27,119 in Tunisia, the ministry said in a statement. ■