Riyadh, December 1, 2021, SPA -- An official source at the Ministry of Health, with reference to what has already been announced on the emergence of a new variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in some countries, and detecting movement of those infected to other countries, said that a case of the omicron variant was detected in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a citizen arriving back from a North African country. The source added that an epidemiological investigation has started and the case was sent to quarantine, where accredited health procedures were followed. This is part of continuous efforts of the Ministry of Health and the Public Health Authority in investigating and dealing with the epidemiological conditions of COVID-19 and its variants in a permanent manner, in addition to the efforts of national institutions in combating the pandemic, such as monitoring border crossings. The source highlighted the importance for all individuals in the society to continue receiving shots of the vaccines and committing to all preventive and precautionary measures and accredited protocols, in addition to the importance of arrivals' adherence to regulations related to quarantine and lab tests for the safety of all. --SPA 12:01 LOCAL TIME 09:01 GMT 0010 www.spa.gov.sa/w1658464