LIMA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Peruvian health authorities confirmed eight new cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, bringing to 12 the number of people infected by Omicron in the country, Health Minister Hernando Cevallos said on Monday.
"Today more cases have been detected with an infection speed much higher than the Delta (variant)," he warned in a statement.
The cases are all concentrated in the Lima Metropolitan Area, including Santiago de Surco, Miraflores, San Isidro and La Molina.
The first four Omicron cases were confirmed on Sunday, and after the increase on Monday, the health minister announced a series of measures to curb its further spread.
Cevallos said the wait period for the booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine will be brought forward from five months to three months.
Other measures include a capacity reduction in indoor establishments, where people can only enter with full vaccination proof, and an extended night curfew on two days - Dec. 24 and Dec. 31. Enditem