The first reported patient of the COVID-19 omicron variant in South Korea has been indicted for lying to health authorities during an epidemiological survey following her infection in November, according to legal sources Friday.

The 40-something woman living in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, was charged without detention for allegedly violating the Infectious Disease Control Act by lying about her transportation use when questioned by local authorities after testing positive for omicron on November 25.

The woman and her husband, a church pastor, had previously traveled to Nigeria before testing positive for the virus variant in South Korea.

She allegedly lied to authorities about taking a quarantine taxi after arriving at Incheon International Airport, when she was actually driven home by an acquaintance. The acquaintance's wife and mother in law were later found to have caused a cluster infection at a large church. (Yonhap)