Bangladesh reports its first cases of omicron variant

Bangladesh has confirmed its first two cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 in two women cricketers returning from Zimbabwe.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque revealed the development on Saturday.

The cricketers are currently isolating in a hotel in Dhaka, Maleque said.

They recently took part in Bangladesh's successful qualifying campaign for the ICC Women's ODI World Cup in the southern African nation.

But neither of the two players have experienced any physical complication and are "doing well", according to Bangladesh Cricket Board chief Nazmul Hassan.

The new strain, described as a 'variant of concern' by the World Health Organisation, was first detected in South Africa in November.

It has since been identified in dozens of other countries around the world as scientists continue research to understand the dangers of infection with it.

The government has also mandated a 14-day institutional quarantine for travellers coming from seven African nations, including Zimbabwe, to prevent another deadly wave of the pandemic.

Members of the women's national cricket team also went into quarantine after returning to Dhaka. The new variant was subsequently detected in the samples of two players on Dec 6.

Confirming the matter at an event in Dhaka five days later, Maleque said, "We have quarantined two of our women cricketers who have contracted the omicron variant of COVID-19 virus. They are in good health."

"We have made all arrangements for their treatment. They are undergoing tests from time to time. It will take them a few more days to make a full recovery. We will observe them for two weeks and they can release them once they've recovered completely."