London: The new potentially more contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus has popped up in more European countries, just days after being identified in South Africa, leaving governments around the world scrambling to stop the spread.
The UK has tightened its rules on mask-wearing and on testing of international arrivals after finding two cases. New cases were confirmed on Saturday in Germany and Italy, with Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong also reporting that the variant has been found in travellers.
In the US, Dr Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious diseases expert, said he would not be surprised if the Omicron variant was already in the United States, too. “We have not detected it yet, but when you have a virus that is showing this degree of transmissibility, it almost invariably is ultimately going to go essentially all over,” said Fauci.
Because of fears that the new variant has the potential to be more resistant to the protection offered by vaccines, there are growing concerns around the world that the pandemic and associated lockdown restrictions will persist for far longer than hoped.
Nearly two years since the start of the pandemic that has claimed more than five million lives around the world, countries are on high alert. Many have already imposed travel restrictions on flights from southern Africa as they seek to buy time to assess whether the Omicron variant is more transmissible than the current dominant Delta variant.
Oz detects cases, Israel bans foreign visitors
Berlin: Australia on Sunday became the latest country to detect the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in travellers who arrived from southern Africa, while Israel decided to bar entry to foreign nationals — the toughest of a growing raft of curbs imposed by nations around the world as they scramble to slow its spread. Confirmed or suspected cases of the new variant have already emerged in several European countries, in Israel and in Hong Kong, just days after it was identified by researchers in South Africa. Israel moved to ban entry by foreigners and mandate quarantine for all Israelis arriving from abroad.
‘Colossal outbreak if china opens up’
Beijing: According to a report by Peking University mathematicians, China could face a “colossal outbreak” and record more than 6,30,000 infections a day if it dropped its zero-tolerance approach and followed other countries by lifting travel bans.
Masks must in uk shops, public transport
London: Face coverings will become a compulsory requirement in shops and public transport in England from Tuesday, the UK Government said on Sunday as part of the tighter Covid-19 curbs being enforced in response to two cases of the new Omicron variant detected in the country. The new measures have raised fears over another locked-down Christmas but PM Boris Johnson has sought to downplay those worries.