MONTEVIDEO, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay's Public Health Ministry said on Wednesday that experts have detected the presence of two new Omicron subvariants in the country, amid a wave of new COVID-19 cases.
The Epidemiology Division of the Public Health Laboratory Department "has recently detected the low-frequency presence of two new Omicron subvariants: XBB.1 and DL.1," the ministry said in a statement.
The predominant variant globally continues to be Omicron and viruses change over time, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to the statement.
The public should continue to practice prevention and get vaccinated, the ministry said.
Public Health Minister Daniel Salinas on Wednesday also confirmed via social media that to the already circulating subvariants in Uruguay, officials were adding XBB.1 and DL.1, which were all Omicron variants that "could be part of the current increase in cases."
On Monday, the health ministry said 8,216 new COVID-19 cases were registered in the country during the week of Dec. 18 to 24, up 66 percent from the previous week. Last week also saw 10 deaths from the coronavirus in Uruguay.
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