According to state news agency SPA, Saudi Arabia confirmed its first instance of the Omicron Covid-19 variety in a north African country.

According to SPA, authorities quarantined the individual and anybody in contact with them, citing a statement from the kingdom's health minister.

This is the first report of an Omicron variation in the Middle East and North Africa. The ministry stated that the individual was a Saudi national who had traveled from a North African country but provided no other information.

On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the highly mutated Omicron coronavirus type was likely to spread internationally and posed a very high risk of infection surges that might have "severe consequences" in some areas.

The Saudi government urged citizens to complete their vaccinations and instructed travelers to adhere to self-isolation and testing requirements.

Omicron was discovered for the first time on November 24 in southern Africa, where illnesses have been rapidly increasing. It has subsequently spread to over a dozen countries, with many imposing travel restrictions to isolate themselves.

Japan joined Israel and Morocco in announcing Monday that it would entirely close its borders.