Two cases of the new omicron variant detected in the UK
The United Kingdom has detected two cases of the new variant of the coronavirus called omicron, British Health Minister Sajid Javid has reported. “The UK’s Health Security Agency has notified us of two cases of the omicron variant in the country. Both cases are linked and there is a link to travel to South Africa. These people will self-isolate at home while more are underway and contact tracing,” he said in a Twitter message.
Cases have been identified in the cities of Chelmsford (in Essex, near London) and Nottingham (in central England), which will now be the scene of additional testing for residents to identify more possible cases, the minister said. “As a precaution, we are carrying out specific additional testing in the affected areas (Nottingham and Chelmsford) and sequencing all positive cases. This is a rapidly progressing situation and we are taking decisive action to protect public health,” Javid said. Twitter message, where he also indicated that Angola, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia will be added to the travel red list from Sunday, December 4. The British minister began: “If someone has traveled to these four countries or to any of the other countries on the red list in the past four days, they should self-isolate and take polymerase chain reaction tests.” The United Kingdom on Friday put South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini on its list of banned countries due to the new pedigree limitation.
The new variant, identified in South Africa, has also been discovered in Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel. Germany and the Czech Republic are awaiting confirmation of suspected cases from Omicron and the Netherlands is analyzing whether 61 coronavirus-positive passengers from South Africa have this variant. Countries around the world are working to enforce travel bans and restrictions in South African countries to contain the spread of the new boom.
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