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 Omicron infections are multiplying rapidly across Europe, the United
States and Asia, including in Japan, where a single cluster at a
military base has grown to at least 180 cases.
New Zealand COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said his
country, which imposed some of the world's toughest COVID-19
measures, was delaying the start of a staggered reopening of its
border until the end of February.
Omicron now accounts for 73% of all new cases in the United States,
up from less than 1% at the beginning of the month. It recorded its
first death from the variant.
South Korea, the Netherlands, Germany and Ireland are among
countries to reimpose partial or full lockdowns, or other social
distancing measures, in recent days. Thailand will reinstate
mandatory quarantine for foreign visitors from Tuesday.
Britain, Germany and Portugal were considering further measures.
British finance minister Rishi Sunak will talk soon about his
discussions with representatives of the hard-hit hospitality
industry who are demanding more government support, a government
minister said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday he was looking at all
kinds of measures to keep Omicron under control.
"We reserve the possibility of further action but it's a question of
looking at that data and weighing that against the other
consequences of further restrictions," Cabinet Office Minister Steve
Barclay told BBC radio on Tuesday when asked if further measures
could be introduced before Christmas.
CHAINS LOCKED
Omicron has hit financial markets hard in recent days, raising
investor fears for the global economic recovery as the pandemic cuts
travel and seizes up supply chains.
But world shares gained marginally on Tuesday, with the dollar
softening as appetite for riskier assets made a cautious return. The
broader Euro STOXX 600 rose 0.76%. Germany's DAX's added 0.57%, with
London's FTSE climbing 0.8%.
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 In Australia, where Omicron
cases have surged but hospitalisations remain
relatively low, Prime Minister Scott Morrison
urged state and territory leaders to avoid
further lockdowns.
"We're not going back to lockdowns. We're going
forward to live with this virus with common
sense and responsibility," he said.
In the United States, the Biden administration
said it would open federal COVID-19 testing
sites in New York this week and buy 500 million
at-home rapid tests that Americans can order
online for free.
"We will also note that if you are unvaccinated,
you are at high risk of getting sick," a senior
administration official said. "This variant is
highly transmissible and the unvaccinated are
eight times more likely to be hospitalized and
14 times more likely to die from COVID."
The Omicron variant was first detected last
month in southern Africa and Hong Kong and so
far has been reported in at least 89 countries.
The severity of illness it causes remains
unclear, but the World Health Organization (WHO)
warned it is spreading faster than the Delta
variant and is causing infections in people
already vaccinated or who have recovered from
the COVID-19 disease.
More than 274 million people have been reported
to be infected by the coronavirus globally since
the pandemic began nearly two years ago. More
than 5.65 million people have died.
Interactive graphic tracking global spread of
coronavirus: open https://tmsnrt.rs/2FThSv7
(Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Jane
Wardell and Nick Macfie; Editing by Angus
MacSwan)
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