The WHO said “travel bans will not prevent international spread”.
Washington/Paris:
Travelers arriving in the US by air will face tougher COVID-19 testing rules to try to slow the spread of the Omicron variant, and other countries tighten border controls as one European leaders called on all concerned to “prepare for the worst”.
A World Health Organization official said that 24 countries may have reported cases of the variant so far, but some early signs are that most cases are mild, with no cases. any serious case. The travel ban has consequences, he said, but there will be more spikes if no other measures are taken to prevent its spread.
The President of the Executive Committee of the European Union said: “Contain Omicron while scientists determine how easily it can spread and whether it can evade the protection of vaccines.” Whether or not it is a “race against time”, the president of the European Union’s Executive Committee said, highlighting the role of vaccines.
“Prepare for the worst, hope for the best,” Ursula von der Leyen told a news conference, adding that according to the scientists, full vaccination and booster shots would give the strongest possible protection.
Ghana, Nigeria, Norway, Saudia Arabia and South Korea are among the latest countries to report cases of the disease. Britain has reported 22 cases so far, a number it says is certain to rise.
Australia says at least two people have visited parts of Sydney while there is a possibility of infection, and Denmark says one infected person attended a large concert.
Japan, which has banned all new foreigners from entering, reported a second case of the new variant and said it would expand travel restrictions.
Such curbs became more tangled as they spread.
Hong Kong added Japan, Portugal and Sweden to their travel restrictions while Uzbekistan said it would suspend flights with Hong Kong as well as South Africa. Malaysia temporarily banned visitors from eight African countries and said Britain and the Netherlands could join the list.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said “travel bans will not stop the spread internationally and they create a burden on lives and livelihoods” while advising those who are unwell, at risk or 60 years of age or older and unvaccinated should postpone travel.
Global shares fell sharply on Tuesday after statements by Moderna’s CEO raised questions about the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine against Omicron. [MKTS/GLOB]
Health officials have since offered reassurance and said the vaccine would still most likely prevent people from becoming seriously ill.
European Medicines Agency chief executive Emer Cooke said laboratory analyzes would show in the next few weeks whether the blood of those vaccinated had enough antibodies to neutralize the new variant.
BioNTech’s CEO says the vaccine they’ve developed in partnership with Pfizer has the potential to provide strong protection against serious disease from Omicron. The European Union has announced the start of the rollout of the vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 a week in advance from December 13.
The UK and the US have both expanded vaccination programs in response to the new variant, which highlights the disparity between the massive vaccination push in richer countries and the sparse vaccination coverage in the richer countries. developing country.
About 56 countries are believed to have implemented travel measures as a precaution against Omicron as of November 28, the WHO said.
The head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said he was concerned that some member states were “introducing blunt, inclusive measures”, which “will only exacerbate inequality”. .
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South Africa first reported this variant a week ago, but data from elsewhere suggest it was circulating before that, although Nigeria said a case from October it had initially reported was Omicron is in fact the Delta variant.
In Germany, which is facing a surge in infections and deaths from COVID-19, officials say four fully vaccinated people have tested positive for Omicron in the south. but have moderate symptoms.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the United States is in the process of requiring all travelers entering the country to have a negative COVID-19 test result taken within one day. from the date of departure.
The new one-day test requirement will apply to US citizens as well as foreign nationals.
The CDC lists about 80 foreign destinations with “Level Four,” the highest level of COVID-19 transmission, and discourages Americans from traveling to those destinations.
In Asia, Japan said it would extend its entry ban to foreigners with residency status from 10 African countries.
Global airlines are bracing for upheaval.
Japanese airlines ANA and JAL said they would suspend new bookings for international flights to the country until the end of December.
Deidre Fulton, a partner at consulting firm MIDAS Aviation, said at an industry webinar: “It feels like we’re going back to where we were a year ago and it’s not a Great prospects for the industry and beyond.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
