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Georgia confirmed the first two cases of the new Omicron variant of coronavirus earlier today.

The new strain, which was detected in South Africa last month, has been classified as a ‘variant of concern’ by the World Health Organization (WHO)

The WHO says that Omicron has an ‘unprecedented number of spike mutations’, which is concerning due to the potential impact on the trajectory of the pandemic.

According to recent studies, Omicron replicates 70 times faster in human airways, but infection in the lungs appears to be less severe.

As of yesterday, Omicron has been detected in 89 countries.

Head of Georgia’s National Center for Disease Control, Amiran Gamkrelidze, says that individuals who have the new variant feel fine and are undergoing treatment at home.