Image source,Getty Images
The United States has implemented a new travel ban in response to the Omi Keron variant
Public health officials in California confirmed that the first known confirmed case of the Omicron variant of the new coronavirus has appeared in the United States.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday (December 2) that the confirmed patient had recently returned to the United States from South Africa.
The CDC stated that the passenger has been fully vaccinated, currently has mild symptoms and is in self-isolation.
The United States has become the latest country to have confirmed cases of the Omi Keron variant-previously including Nigeria and South Korea, there have been reports of confirmed cases, and some countries have closed their borders.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Chemical Energy has warned that it may have a “very high global risk”, and the President of the European Commission has called for it to be time to consider compulsory vaccination against the new crown.
Ursula von der Leyen (Ursula von der Leyen) said that to combat this “highly contagious” variant, vaccines will be crucial.
The U.S. is expected to have further measures
The United States is planning to adopt new travel restrictions on this new variant.
US media reported that it is expected that foreign travelers will soon be required to provide a negative test certificate within 24 hours before their appearance.
It is expected that US President Biden (Joe Biden) will announce stricter testing requirements on Thursday and may have further measures.
On Monday, Biden said that he believes the new variant “will not cause panic” and said that it is unlikely to cause a domestic lockdown.
Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States have listed Omi Keron as a “variant of concern”, but it is still unclear whether it is more infectious or whether it is more likely to be a vaccine. Resistance.
At a press briefing at the White House on Wednesday, Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that the emergence of Omi Keron “further demonstrates that vaccination, intensified injections, and preventive measures are preventing The importance of COVID-19.”
Europe: Discussing compulsory vaccination is “understandable”
At present, more than 20 countries around the world have reported cases of Omi Keron variant. The United States and many European countries have imposed travel bans on eight African countries-including South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Swadini, Mozambique And Malawi.
Health experts say that the travel restriction order will buy them time to study the new variant, but the new report shows that Omi Keron may have spread in Western Europe before scientists discovered it in South Africa last week.
Image source,EPA
Von der Lein said that it is “appropriate” for Europe to consider mandatory vaccination
According to WHO data, at least 23 countries have currently reported cases of highly mutated variant viruses, including the United Kingdom, Canada and several EU member states.
On Wednesday, Von der Lein said that it is “understandable and appropriate” for EU member states to discuss the possibility of mandatory vaccination, because one third of the EU’s population has not yet been vaccinated.
“How can we encourage and consider mandatory vaccination within the EU? This needs to be discussed. This requires a consistent approach, but this is a discussion that I think requires leadership,” she said at a press conference in Brussels.
At present, only some EU governments have implemented mandatory vaccination, and some countries are working in this direction.
Austria has announced that it will implement mandatory vaccination in February next year, and Greece will impose a monthly fine of more than 100 euros on those over 60 who have not been vaccinated.
German chancellor-designate Olaf Scholz (Olaf Scholz) has already expressed support for compulsory vaccination.
WHO Calls for Careful Treatment of Omicron, South African Doctors Call Patient’s Symptoms “Mild”
“Inequality increased”
The WHO announced on Friday that Omi Kejon was listed as a “variant to be watched” and said that it will learn more about this variant in the coming days.
Omi Keron has become a major strain of the new coronavirus in South Africa, and the country’s single-day confirmed cases recorded on Wednesday doubled. Officials pointed out that the new variant may have caused this round of rise.
However, the WHO stated that it believes that the existing vaccines can still prevent severe illnesses from the infected.
When asked about the severity of the new variant cases, the WHO infectious disease scientist Maria van Kerkhove said: “There are some signs that some cases have mild symptoms.”
The WHO Director-General Tedros Tedros said that he is concerned about the immediate and comprehensive customs closure and travel ban, believing that this “will only increase inequality.”
Van Kelhof said that the travel ban imposed on South Africa has caused difficulties in the transportation of virus samples.