Omicron cases detected in Europe

The UK on Saturday detected two cases of the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, according to health secretary Sajid Javid as he added four more African countries to Britain’s travel red list. The patients were detected in Chelmsford and Nottingham, Javid was quoted as saying by the BBC.

Germany on Saturday confirmed its first two cases of the new Omicron strain of Covid-19, in travellers who arrived at Munich airport from South Africa, regional officials said. Italy too announced first detected case of new variant.

The Czech Republic was carrying out further tests on a woman who had travelled from Namibia and was suspected to have the new variant, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said.

Dutch health authorities said on Saturday that 61 passengers aboard two KLM flights from South Africa tested positive for Covid-19 and the results were being examined for the new Omicron variant.

Belgium said on Friday it had detected the first announced infection in an unvaccinated person returning from abroad.

US, Canada and EU announce travel bans

The US will bar entry to most travellers from eight southern African countries starting on Monday, after a potentially more-contagious new coronavirus variant was identified in South Africa, President Joe Biden said.

The restrictions apply to South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi.

Countries around the world rushed to suspend travel from southern Africa after the WHO said Omicron was “of concern”.

Although epidemiologists say travel curbs may be too late to stop Omicron from circulating globally, a string of countries including the Brazil, Canada and European Union nations announced travel bans or restrictions from southern Africa on Friday.

The Canadian government has barred all non-Canadians who have been in seven southern African nations over the past 14 days from entering the country. This measure will be in place till January 31, 2022. The countries that will be impacted by the ban on travel are South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Namibia.

On Saturday, Australia said it would ban non-citizens who have been in nine southern African countries from entering and will require supervised 14-day quarantines for Australian citizens and their dependents returning from there.

Japan said it would extend its tightened border controls to three more African countries after imposing curbs on travel from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Lesotho on Friday.

South African scientists brace for new wave

Scientists in South Africa are scrambling to combat the lightning spread across the country of the new variant.

“We’re seeing a marked change in the demographic profile of patients with Covid-19,” Rudo Mathivha, head of the intensive care unit at Soweto’s Baragwanath Hospital, said.

“Young people, in their 20s to just over their late 30s, are coming in with moderate to severe disease, some needing intensive care. About 65% are not vaccinated and most of the rest are only half-vaccinated,” said Mathivha. “I’m worried that as the numbers go up, the public health care facilities will become overwhelmed.”

With inputs from Anirudh Bhattacharyya