The first cases of the Omicron variant identified around the world

By Rob Picheta, CNN

Editor’s note: The Omicron coronavirus variant has now been identified in dozens of countries globally and this story will no longer be updated. Follow the latest updates on the spread of the variant here.

Nations around the world are racing to identify how many cases of the Omicron variant they have, as fears over the new strain force governments to shutter borders and revisit restrictions.

The new mutation, which is potentially more transmissible, was first discovered in South Africa and has since been detected in several countries.

Here’s a list of the places which were reporting cases as of December 1, 2021.

Australia: 7 cases

Austria: 1 case

Belgium: 1 case

Botswana: 19 cases

Brazil: 2 cases

Canada: 6 cases

Czech Republic: 1 case

Denmark: 4 cases

France: 1 case (on Reunion Island)

Germany: 9 cases

Hong Kong: 4 cases

Israel: 4 cases

Italy: 9 cases

Japan: 2 cases

Netherlands: 16 cases

Nigeria: 3 cases

Norway: 2 cases

Portugal: 13 cases

Saudi Arabia: 1 case

South Africa: 77 cases

South Korea: 5 cases

Spain: 2 cases

Sweden: 3 cases

United Kingdom: 22 cases

United States: 1 case

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