Two players of Bangladesh women's national cricket team, who tested positive for Covid-19 last week, were infected with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

"They are in good health. [But] we will observe them for two weeks and they can be released once they've cleared the virus completely," said Health Minister Zahid Maleque at an event at Dhaka Shishu Hospital yesterday.

The two -- one 21 years old and the other 30 -- are the first cases of the new variant in the country.

On Monday, the mandatory quarantine period for the cricket team was extended as per government rule after the two tested positive.

The government announced a 14-day mandatory institutional quarantine for all incoming passengers from seven South African countries, including Zimbabwe, in response to the Omicron variant.

First reported in South Africa last month, the Omicron variant is reportedly causing milder Covid-19 illness than Delta. But it seems to be spreading faster, according to the latest report published by South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Disease yesterday.

Bangladesh Cricket Board Physician Debashish Chowdhury said Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will now follow the protocol of the health ministry.

"The others [players] tested negative and have no symptom," Nazmul Hasan Papon, president of BCB told journalists yesterday, adding, "The isolation protocol is being fully maintained."

According to the global genome sequence database GISAID, the Institute for Epidemiology and Disease Control (IEDCR) collected nasal swabs from both cricketers on December 6.

The IEDCR-ideSHi Genomics Lab then completed the genomic sequencing of these samples and identified them as Omicron variants of coronavirus.

The results were submitted and published on the GISAID website on Thursday.

Mushtuq Hussain, consultant of the IEDCR, told The Daily Star yesterday, "Although the World Health Organization has not reported any fatality due to Omicron yet, it is too early to rule out the probability of danger."

"As it is now detected in the country, the genomic sequence of every new case of Covid-19 should be done to keep a hold on the transmission of omicron," he said.

He also urged for rigorous screening at all entry points across the country and enforcement of health safety guidelines.