Omicron coronavirus variant detected in UK, concern triggers more travel curbs

• Many states have announced travel restrictions and bans for southern Africa
• Dutch authorities are testing passengers on the Omicron variant
• Britain says two Omicron cases have been discovered
• Germany and the Czech Republic have suspected Omicron cases

Nov. 27 (Reuters) – The UK discovered two cases of the new variant of Omicron coronavirus on Saturday, although Australia and other countries have joined nations imposing travel restrictions from southern Africa to stop its spread.

Authorities in Germany and the Czech Republic also stated that they had suspected cases.

The variant’s discovery on Friday sparked global concern, a wave of travel bans or restrictions, and a sell-off in financial markets as investors feared Omicron could block a global recovery from the nearly two-year pandemic.

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Omicron, referred to as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization, is potentially more contagious than previous variants of the disease, although experts do not yet know whether it will cause more or less severe COVID-19 compared to other strains.

The variant was first discovered in South Africa and has since been detected in Belgium, Botswana, Israel and Hong Kong.

The Dutch authorities said that 61 out of around 600 people who arrived in Amsterdam on Friday on two flights from South Africa tested positive for the coronavirus. Health officials conducted further tests to see if these cases were the new variant. Continue reading

A passenger who arrived from South Africa on Friday, Dutch photographer Paula Zimmerman, said she tested negative but was excited for the next few days as she spent hours on a flight that was likely to have many infected passengers.

“I was told that they expect a lot more people to test positive after five days.

Financial markets collapsed on Friday, particularly airline and other shares in the travel sector, as investors feared the variant could cause the pandemic to rise further. The price of oil collapsed by about $ 10 a barrel.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) closed its worst day since late October 2020 at 2.5%, and European stocks (.STOXX) had its worst day in 17 months.

It could take weeks for scientists to fully understand the mutations in the variant and whether existing vaccines and treatments are effective against them. Omicron is the fifth variant of WHO that gives cause for concern.

TRAVEL FLOORS

The two linked cases of the new variant of Omicron coronavirus discovered in the UK were related to travel to southern Africa, Health Minister Sajid Javid said. Continue reading

Digital display boards show canceled flights to London – Heathrow at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 26, 2021. REUTERS / Sumaya Hisham / File Photo

Continue reading

The Ministry of Health said two people and all members of their households would be retested and asked to self-isolate while further testing and contact traces were carried out.

The UK also said it was expanding its “red list” to include travel restrictions for other southern African countries, while South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Oman and Hungary also announced travel restrictions for South African countries.

Officials in the western German state of Hesse said the Omicron variant likely arrived in Germany after mutations were found in a passenger from South Africa. The Czech health authorities said they are investigating a suspected case of the variant in a person who has been in Namibia.

Although epidemiologists say travel restrictions may be too late to stop Omicron’s spread around the world, many countries around the world – including the United States, Brazil, Canada, and countries in the European Union – announced travel bans or restrictions on Friday southern Africa.

On Saturday, Australia said it would ban non-citizens who have stayed in nine southern African countries and require Australian citizens returning from there to be placed in a 14-day monitored quarantine. Continue reading

Japan said it will expand its tightened border controls to three more African countries after imposing travel restrictions on South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Lesotho on Friday.

South Africa fears the restrictions will harm tourism and other sectors of its economy, the State Department said on Saturday, adding the government is working with countries that have banned travel to encourage them to reconsider. Continue reading

Omicron came about as many countries in Europe are already grappling with spikes in COVID-19 infections, and some have reintroduced restrictions on social activities to stop the spread. Austria and Slovakia have initiated lockdowns.

VACCINATIONS

The new variant has also put the spotlight on differences in vaccination among the world’s population. Although many developed countries are giving a third dose of booster vaccination, according to medical and human rights groups, less than 7% of people in low-income countries received their first COVID-19 vaccination.

Seth Berkley, CEO of the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, which is leading the COVAX initiative with WHO to advance fair distribution of vaccines, said it was essential to stave off the emergence of more coronavirus variants.

“Although we still need to know more about Omicron, we know that as long as large parts of the world’s population are not vaccinated, variants will continue to occur and the pandemic will continue to grow,” he said in a statement to Reuters.

“We will only prevent variants from developing if we manage to protect the entire world population, not just the affluent parts.”

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Reporting by Toby Sterling, Bart H. Meijer, Costas Pitas, Promit Mukerjee, Stephanie Nebehay, Madeline Chambers, Robert Muller and Reuters Offices Writing by Frances Kerry Editing by Alexander Smith and Nick Macfie

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

https://www.reuters.com/world/concerns-over-covid-variant-trigger-more-travel-curbs-southern-africa-2021-11-27/