Britain on Saturday confirmed its first two cases of the new Omicron strain of Covid-19, both linked to travel from southern Africa, and expanded travel restrictions on the region.
"After overnight genome sequencing, the UK Health Security Agency has confirmed that two cases of Covid-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 (Omicron) have been identified in the UK," a government statement said. (AFP)
As a precautionary measure, the authorities in Karnataka have made Covid test compulsory for all passengers arriving from Kerala and Maharashtra, officials said on Saturday.
(PTI)
Decisions taken at the meeting chaired by Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai | Intensify inspections at the International Airport. Permission to enter the city for those who are negative. (ANI)
America's top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci has said that the newCovid-19 Omicron variant is in "fluid motion" in South Africa and the US scientists are in "very active" communication with their colleagues in that country to test the strain, get facts and find out whether or not it evades the antibodies.
The new potentially more contagious B.1.1.529 variant was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from South Africa on November 24, and has also been identified in Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel. (PTI)
With the detection of a newCovidvariant -- Omicron -- in South Africa, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Saturday the state is mulling quarantine for international passengers arriving to the state.
Speaking to mediapersons here, George said the Centre is in touch with the states and utmost caution has been advised. (IANS)
The one-day international series between South Africa and the Netherlands has been postponed after the discovery of a newCovid-19 variant in South Africa led to travel curbs being enforced, the two cricket boards said on Saturday.
Rain forced Friday's first ODI at Centurion to be abandoned. The boards had said it was "highly unlikely" the visiting team would be able to fly out of the country over the weekend. (Reuters)
Two South African nationals have tested Covid-19 positive at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, creating panic among the health authorities over the new Omicron variant of the virus.
(PTI)
Hundreds of foreigners on family or business trips in South Africa desperately tried to get back home on the last available flights as several nations imposed restrictions on travellers due to the discovery of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19 in this country.
A German regional official said Saturday that health authorities have identified the first suspected case in the country of the newCovid-19 variant, in a person who returned from South Africa.
"The Omicron variant has with strong likelihood already arrived in Germany," Kai Klose, social affairs minister in the western state of Hesse, tweeted, referring to the strain first detected in southern Africa. (AFP)
In view of surge in Covid-19 cases elsewhere globally and detection of new variant of concern Omicron, WHO today appealed to countries in South-East Asia Region to scale up surveillance, strengthen public health & social measures, & enhance vaccination coverage: WHO (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Saturday briefed about the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus, and he asked officials to review the plans to ease international travel restrictions in light of the "emerging new evidence".
As concerns over the new coronavirus variant rise, Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said that people coming from 'affected countries' will have to take RT-PCR tests after landing in Bengaluru. If positive, they will stay in and around the airport and be treated he said.
PM highlighted need for monitoring all international arrivals, their testing as per guidelines, with a specific focus on countries identified ‘at risk’. PM also asked officials to review plans for easing international travel restrictions in light of the emerging new evidence: PMO
281 students tested positive in SDM College of Medical Sciences in Dharwad. We've tested all 1788 students of the college, some results are awaited. Also, one international school had reported 34 cases & another 12 cases. None of these cases was severe, he added.
(ANI)
(ANI)
(ANI)
(Reuters)
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has instructed the chief secretary, DGP & health secretary to ensure compliance of Covid appropriate behavior in public places & make all necessary arrangements in hospitals in view of the new variant of Covid: Chief Minister's Office
(ANI)
He will also discuss with officials and experts on precautionary measures to be taken in the wake of the threat posed by the virus’ new variant.
(DHNS)
(ANI)
Sri Lanka will ban entry to most travellers from six southern African countries from Sunday, after a potentially more contagious new coronavirus variant called Omicron was identified in South Africa earlier this week, healthcare authorities said here on Saturday.
(ANI)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop flights coming to India from those countries which are affected by a new variant of the coronavirus infection.
Since early in the Covid pandemic, the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa has been monitoring changes in SARS-CoV-2.
(ANI)
Dutch health authorities said that dozens of people who arrived in Amsterdam on two flights from South Africa on Friday are likely infected with the Omicron Covid-19 variant, with the estimated case count at 85. Around 600 passengers arrived at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on two KLM flights on Friday, according to Reuters.
No cases of the new Covid-19 variant detected in South Africa have been identified in the United States sofar, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday, according to Reuters.
India has reported 8,318 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday and 465 deaths, according to data from Union Health Ministry.Active cases stood at 1,07,019. The death toll is 4,67,933. In the past 24 hours, 10,967 people recovered, taking the total recoveries to 3,39,88,797.
PM Narendra Modi will chair an important meeting on the situation relating to Covid-19 and vaccinations with top officials at 10.30 am today.
As global concern rose Friday about a new coronavirus variant, Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in New York, giving her the power to order hospitals to limit nonessential procedures to boost capacity in facilities, according to Reuters.
The number of Covid-19 cases in Dharwad's SDM College of Medical Sciences reached 281, with 99 people testing positive yesterday. Of the 281 cases, only 6 patients are symptomatic, District Collector Nitish Patil told ANI.
The United States, Brazil, Canada, and Saudi Arabia became the latest countries Friday to restrict travel from southern Africa, where a new Covid strain labelled a "variant of concern" has been discovered in a potentially heavy blow to the world's efforts to end the coronavirus pandemic.
It has reached Europe with one confirmed case in Belgium after being found in South Africa, Botswana and then in Hong Kong.
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Next week's World Trade Organization ministerial conference, the global trade body's biggest gathering in four years, was postponed at the last minute Friday due to the new Omicron Covid-19 variant.The WTO hoped the four-day gathering in Geneva would breathe new life into the crippled organisation, which has been stuck for years trying to make progress on resolving issues like fishery subsidies.
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No case of the new coronavirus variant B.1.1.529has been detected at the Delhi airport among passengers transiting or coming from 'at-risk' countries, the laboratory tasked with conducting the tests said on Friday.
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As of Thursday, there were almost 100 cases detected in South Africa, where it’s become the dominant strain among new infections. Early PCR test results showed that 90 per cent of 1,100 new cases reported Wednesday in the South African province that includes Johannesburg were caused by the new variant, according to Tulio de Oliveira, a bio-informatics professor who runs gene-sequencing institutions at two South African universities.
AstraZeneca said on Friday it was examining the impact of a new coronavirus variant that is spreading rapidly in South Africa on its vaccine and its antibody cocktail, adding it was hopeful its combination drug would retain efficacy.
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The new Covid-19 variant B.1.1.529, first detected from South Africa, was on Friday designated as a “Variant of Concern” by the World Health Organisation, which named it “omicron”.
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