The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that not a single case of new Covid-19 variant (Omicron) detected in South Africa has been identified in the United States to date.
However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the B.1.1.529 variant, Omicron, being “a health concern,” the fifth variant to be classified as such.
“We expect Omicron to be identified quickly, if it emerges in the U.S.,” CDC said in a statement today.
Australia has banned flights with immediate effect from nine southern African countries and tightened its borders to prevent the entry of the new Covid-19 Omicron variant. Non-Australians who visited South Africa, Zimbabwe and several other nations in the past fortnight will also be barred from Australia, Heath Minister Greg Hunt said.
Citizens and residents travelling from the listed countries will have to quarantine for 14 days.
The variant – which has a large number of mutations – was first detected on November 9 and the scientists are racing to understand how it behaves, but there are fears the strain may be more transmissible or render existing vaccines less effective, TRT World reported today.
Arabs ban travel from African nations
Saudi Arabia and several other Arab Gulf countries have imposed travel bans from several African countries due to fears over a new coronavirus variant.
They listed the countries as South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and Eswatini.
Morocco, a North African nation, also banned travellers from those countries. Another north African country, Egypt, followed its allies’ decisions and banned direct flights to and from South Africa.
