The UK will require all inbound travelers to obtain a negative COVID-19 test prior to departure, and arrivals from Nigeria will be required to quarantine in hotels in an attempt to quell the Omicron variant's spread, Health Minister Sajid Javid said on Saturday.

Chile reported its first case of the Omicron variant on Saturday after confirming the discovery in a person entering the country from Ghana on November 25.

Romania's Ministry of Health said on Saturday that the country has confirmed its first two cases of the Omicron variant.

Zambia on Saturday confirmed the presence of the Omicron variant in the country. Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo revealed that the variant was detected by the national genomic sequencing laboratory in three people who had tested positive within the past seven days.

(With input from agencies)