OTTAWA: Canada has discovered a total of 15 cases of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19 and severe illness trends across the country could start to rise again, public health officials said on Friday. The federal government said it backed a recommendation of a national advisory board on immunizations that all adults above 50 should … Read more
SEOUL: South Korea broke its daily record for coronavirus infections for a second straight day on Thursday with more than 5,200 new cases, as pressure mounted on a health care system grappling with rising hospitalisations and deaths. The rapid delta-driven spread comes amid the emergence of the new omicron variant, which is seen as potentially … Read more
GENEVA: The new Omicron coronavirus variant has been confirmed in 23 countries and their number is expected to rise, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. Speaking at a press briefing here, Tedros said the emergence of the Omicron variant has understandably captured global attention. “At least 23 countries … Read more
WASHINGTON: The first confirmed case of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 has been detected in a person in California, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. “The individual was a traveler who returned from South Africa on November 22, 2021,” the agency said. “The individual, who was fully vaccinated and had mild … Read more
Two people who tested positive for the coronavirus in the Netherlands more than a week ago were infected with the Omicron variant, Dutch health officials reported on Tuesday. The timing is significant because it suggests that the variant was already present in the country for at least a week before the arrival of two flights … Read more
JAKARTA: Indonesia will ban the arrival of travellers who have been in eight African countries, to curb the spread of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19, an official document showed on Sunday. Indonesia, home to popular tourist island Bali, will not allow people who have been in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini … Read more
JOHANNESBURG: Eyes welling up with frustration and relief, Belgian Valerie Leduc and a friend walked from a ticket counter at Johannesburg international airport having secured a flight seat home via Ethiopia. But they will only be flying out in three days time. “We were feeling like we have committed a crime,” said the 30-year-old Antwerp … Read more
JOHANNESBURG: As the world grapples with the emergence of the new highly transmissible variant of Covid-19, worried scientists in South Africa — where omicron was first identified — are scrambling to combat its lightning spread across the country. In the space of two weeks, the omicron variant has sent South Africa from a period of … Read more
JOHANNESBURG: The new Omicron variant of the coronavirus results in mild disease, without prominent syndromes, Angelique Coetzee, the chairwoman of the South African Medical Association, told Sputnik on Saturday. The World Health Organization (WHO) identified on Friday the new South African strain as one of concern, as it is reported to carry a high number … Read more
WASHINGTON: The United States will restrict entry to travellers from eight southern African countries over concerns about a new Covid-19 variant found in South Africa, President Joe Biden said on Friday. The policy does not ban flights or apply to the US citizens and lawful US permanent residents, a Biden administration official said. The restrictions … Read more