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Highlight
- New cases were detected in Chelmsford, Essex and Nottingham.
- The cases are said to be linked and both the men were self-isolating.
- 4 more countries are being added to the travel ban “red list” from 4am on Sunday: UK government
Two people in the UK have been found infected with the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, after the UK government announced on Saturday that it had added four more African countries to its travel red list. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the UK’s Health Protection Agency (UKHSA) had detected cases in Chelmsford, Essex and Nottingham.
The cases are said to be linked and the two people were self-isolating along with their homes while more testing and contact tracing take place.
In addition, the government said four more countries were being added to the travel ban “red list” from 4 a.m. on Sunday: Angola, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia.
It adds six countries to the sanctions list from Friday – South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
“We have always been clear that we will not hesitate to take further action if necessary,” Javid said.
“One thing I can announce today is that we are immediately conducting targeted testing and sequencing the positive cases in the two affected areas.
“It is a real reminder that this pandemic is not over yet. If there’s one thing everyone can do, right now, if they’re eligible, please get their vaccine, whether it’s your first shot, your second shot, or your booster jab,” Javid said.
Omicron was declared a type of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday, placing it in the same category as the delta version, which has caused waves of infection around the world and many European countries to re-lockdown. was forced to enter. ,
The new variant is considered potentially more dangerous because it has about twice as many mutations as delta, but experts say how much is still under investigation.
Omicron, also known as B.1.1.1.529, has been found in Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong, and possibly also in Germany and the Czech Republic.
UK officials insist that the reason the two cases were now detected in the UK was as much because the UK is the “world leader” in genomic sequencing.
Javid said on Twitter that “as a precaution we are launching additional targeted testing in the affected areas – Nottingham and Chelmsford – and sequencing all positive cases. This is a fast-moving situation and we are concerned about public health.” Taking decisive steps to protect
“We are also adding Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola to the red list of travel – effective from 4 am on Sunday. If you have returned from there in the last 10 days, then you will have to isolate and get a PCR test done. And if you’re eligible for your booster jab – it’s time to get it,” Javid tweeted.
The new potentially more infectious was designated on Friday as a “version of concern” by the WHO, which named it “Omicron.” A “type of concern” is the WHO’s top category of worrying COVID-19 variants. The number of mutations in the variants is high, about 50 in total.
Importantly, South African genomic scientists said Thursday that more than 30 mutations were found in the spike protein – the structure the virus uses to get into the cells they attack.
Countries around the world are currently rushing to impose travel restrictions and sanctions on southern African countries in an effort to stop the spread of omicrons.
The US has banned travel from South Africa and seven other countries in the southern Africa region from Monday. European countries, along with the UK, have banned travel to South Africa and the neighboring countries of Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana, as well as Lesotho and Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), both of which are landlocked within South Africa.
Other countries include Mauritius, Israel, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands.
Several other countries followed suit, with most of them indicating that only their own citizens would be allowed to return, subject to a quarantine period.
In New Delhi, the Indian government asked all states and union territories to conduct rigorous screening and testing of all international travelers arriving or departing from South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana, where a new variant has been detected.
Read also: Review easing of international flight restrictions: PM amid concerns over new Covid version
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