|
 Markets regained some composure as investors awaited further details
of the variant, after having sunk last week on fears that it could
bring fresh curbs, threatening a nascent economic revival from a
two-year pandemic. [MKTS/GLOB]
Potentially more contagious https://www.reuters.com/world/how-worried-should-we-be-about-omicron-variant-2021-11-27
than prior variants, Omicron, first identified in southern Africa,
has been found in Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Britain, Canada,
Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands
and Scotland.
The Omicron variant is likely to spread internationally, bringing
"severe consequences" in some areas, the World Health Organisation
(WHO) advised its 194 member nations.
"The overall global risk related to the new variant of concern
Omicron is assessed as very high," said the world health body, which
has warned that understanding the variant's level of severity could
take time running into weeks.
As a precaution to avert a worst-case scenario, Japan will close its
borders to foreigners from Tuesday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
said, adding that he was ready to face criticism for being too
cautious.
"These are temporary, exceptional measures that we are taking for
safety's sake, until there is clearer information about the Omicron
variant," Kishida told reporters.
He did not say how long the restriction would stay. Japanese
returning from specified nations would face quarantine, he added.
While Japan has not uncovered any Omicron infections, Health
Minister Shigeyuki Goto said it was doing tests to determine if the
variant had infected a traveller from Namibia who tested positive
for the virus.
Israel, where the ban took effect from midnight on Sunday, has also
vowed to use counter-terrorism phone-tracking technology to combat
the new variant.
Australia said it would review plans to re-open borders to skilled
migrants and students from Dec. 1, after reporting its first Omicron
cases.
A national security panel will meet later in the day, Prime Minister
Scott Morrison said, but added it was a "bit too early" to reinstate
two-week hotel quarantine for foreign travellers.
"So we just take this one step at a time, get the best information,
make calm, sensible decisions," Morrison told broadcaster Nine News.
[to top of second column] |
 Symptoms of Omicron are so far
mild and could be treated at home, a South
African doctor, one of the first to suspect a
different variant, has said.
TRAVEL CURBS
The WHO urged members to speed vaccination of
high-priority groups and ensure efforts to keep
up essential health services, advising a
risk-based approach to adjusting global travel
curbs.
"Omicron has an unprecedented number of spike
mutations," it said, adding, "COVID-19 cases and
infections are expected in vaccinated persons,
albeit in a small and predictable
proportion."Morocco has said it will ban all
inbound international passenger flights for two
weeks from Nov. 29.
Singapore has deferred the start of vaccinated
travel lanes with some Middle Eastern countries,
such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates, seen as transit hubs for travel from
affected countries, its health ministry said.
The wealthy southeast Asian city-state and
neighbouring Malaysia re-opened their land
border, one of the world's busiest, to
vaccinated travellers, after a shutdown of
nearly two years.
India has ordered COVID-19 testing at airports
from Wednesday for all arrivals from 'at-risk'
countries.
Britain, which has said it would call an urgent
meeting of G7 health ministers on Monday, is set
to unveil new guidance on extending the rollout
of COVID-19 booster shots in light of the rapid
rise in Omicron infections.
Scotland has identified six Omicron cases, it
said on Monday, adding that public health
officials were working to establish the
circumstances.
In the United States, President Joe Biden will
provide fresh details of the variant and the
U.S. response on Monday, the White House said.
 South Africa has denounced the travel
restrictions as unfair and potentially harmful
to the economy, saying it was being punished for
its scientific ability to identify variants
early.
(Reporting by Elaine Lies in Tokyo, Stephanie
Nebehay in Geneva, Renju Jose in Sydney, Chen
Lin in Singapore and Reuters bureaus; Writing by
Himani Sarkar; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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