Of the two cases of the Omicron variant discovered in Hong Kong on Friday, one was from a traveler from Canada. Faced with the emergence of this disturbing new variant across the world, countries are intensifying border restrictions.
In Hong Kong, a traveler from South Africa tested positive for the B.1.1.529 variant, named Omicron, Reuters reported on Friday. Another traveler, who came to him from Canada, was also tested positive while in quarantine in a hotel room opposite that of the South African traveler. The use of a mask with a valve on the part of the traveler coming from Africa could have transmitted the virus to the occupant of the next room, according to a spokesperson for the Hong Kong health authorities.
The Dr Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said the federal government will be in contact with authorities in Hong Kong regarding the situation, CTV News reported. Friday. “There is a good chance that this fellow caught him elsewhere [qu’au Canada], but you can never say never, said Dr Tam at a press conference. We just want to follow up to see if there’s anything we need to trace back to Canada, for that particular traveler.
Detections and restrictions
After Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Israel, Hong Kong and Italy, the Czech Republic announced the first case of the Omicron variant on Saturday in a female traveler returning from Namibia, according to Agence France- Hurry.
On the Dutch side, around sixty passengers from Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa, were in quarantine on Saturday. “The Omicron variant was probably found among those tested,” the country’s National Institute of Public Health said. The final results should be known on Sunday.
Since Friday, Canada has banned the entry into the country of travelers from southern Africa. The target countries are South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini (Swaziland) and Namibia. The United States has added Malawi to its list.
Several countries have imposed restrictions on their borders. The first to suspend flights from South Africa, the British government has announced a tightening of entry rules for arrivals from all origins: PCR test and compulsory isolation until the result, in parallel with the return of the compulsory mask in all shops.
Switzerland also announced that people from the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Egypt and Malawi must present, upon boarding and entering Switzerland, a COVID-19 test. negative and be placed in quarantine for 10 days, according to Agence France-Presse. This was already the case since Friday evening for people from several countries in southern Africa, Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong.
Any person “contact” of another, tested positive for the new variant will have to be isolated even if it is vaccinated, for its part announced Saturday evening the French ministry of Health.
Israel for its part announced Saturday the closure of its borders to foreign travelers for a period of two weeks, in the hope of preventing the spread of the new variant, according to Reuters. Israeli nationals will have to go into quarantine.
With the France-Presse agency