Travel restrictions renew as Omicron sends jitters around globe

Picture source - AFP via Getty Images

Omicron cases have suddenly cropped up in countries located on opposite sides of the geographical spectrum on Sunday and many states hurried to lock their borders, though researchers warned that it was indefinite whether the latest variant was more disturbing than other variants of the virus.

According to Associate Press, the version was detected just a few days ago by scientists in South Africa, and a lot was unclear about it. This includes whether it is more infectious, has a greater chance of making people seriously sick or more capable to elude the reach of vaccines.

But many countries hurried to take measures, showing concern about anything that could lengthen the pandemic that has claimed people in excess of five million.

The new variant has states jumping into action. Israel banned entry to non-Israelis, while Morocco stated that it would shelve all entering flights for two weeks from Monday – part of the strictest of travel restrictions imposed by countries globally as they struggle to contain the version’s swiftness.

Researchers in many spots – from Hong Kong to Europe to North America – have verified its existence.

The Netherlands declared 13 cases of the new version on Sunday, while Canada and Australia reported two cases each.

The World Health Organization urged openness of borders, observing that Omicron had already been found in a lot of countries and closing frontiers often had a lesser impact.

According to the Dutch public health authority, 13 visitors who from South Africa on Friday had tested positive for the new variant.

They were part of 61 people who showed positive symptoms for Omicron after reaching Amsterdam on the final couple of flights before further flights were barred. The infected were put into immediate quarantine.

The Canadian Health Ministry stated that the first two Canadian affectees were discovered in Ontario. The two had recently returned from Nigeria.

Australia and Israel put in new restrictions to deal with Omicron while Germany also reported positive cases and Japan was mulling restrictions.