two cases of the Omicron variant detected in the UK

Two cases of contamination with the new Omicron variant have been detected in the United Kingdom in people “related to a trip to South Africa”, announced Saturday, November 27 the British Ministry of Health. “We acted quickly and the people concerned are isolating themselves while the search for contact cases continues”, assured the Minister of Health, Sajid Javid.

One of the cases was detected in the city of Nottingham (central England) and the other in Chelmsford (east of London), said the British health authorities.

In order to “to face the evolution of the situation”, the British government has decided in particular to toughen from 5 p.m. (Paris time) on Sunday its entry conditions into the territory for travelers from Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola.

Those returning from these four countries will therefore be barred from entering the UK unless they are UK residents. The people “returned from these four countries in the last ten days must self-isolate and undergo a PCR test”, specifies a press release from the Ministry of Health.

This is in addition to six other countries – South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Botswana – already placed by the government on “red list” since Friday.