Omicron
Wary, weary world slams doors shut, fearing omicron variant
Countries around the world slammed their doors shut again to try to keep the new omicron variant at bay Monday, even as more cases of the mutant coronavirus emerged and scientists raced to figure out just how dangerous it might be.
Japan announced it would bar entry of all foreign visitors, while new cases of the variant identified days ago by researchers in South Africa appeared in places such as Hong Kong and Australia. New cases in Portugal and Scotland might already point toward local spread of the variant outside of southern Africa.
“There might already be some community transmission of this variant in Scotland,” First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said after Scotland reported its first six cases.
The infections showed the near impossibility of keeping the genie in the bottle in a globalized world of travel and open borders.
Yet, many tried to do just that, even against the urging of the World Health Organization, which noted that border closings often have limited effect and can wreak havoc on lives and livelihoods.
Also read: Omicron: What we know about the COVID-19 Variant so far
Some argued that such restrictions could provide valuable time to analyze the new variant. Little is known about it, including whether it is more contagious, more likely to cause serious illness or more able to evade the protection of vaccines.
The WHO warned, however, that “the likelihood of potential further spread of omicron at the global level is high. Depending on these characteristics, there could be future surges of COVID‐19, which could have severe consequences.”
While the initial global response to COVID-19 was criticized as slow and haphazard, the reaction to the new variant came quickly.
“This time the world showed it is learning,” said European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, singling out South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for praise. “South Africa’s analytic work and transparency and sharing its results was indispensable in allowing a swift global response. It no doubt saved many lives.”
The WHO has praised Botswana as well as South Africa for quickly alerting the world to the presence of the new variant — and many have warned the countries should not be punished for their speed.
But that did not hold von der Leyen back from pushing the 27-nation EU toward imposing an immediate ban on flights from seven southern African nations — similar to measures many countries have taken.
Cases had already been reported in Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands before Portuguese authorities identified 13 cases of omicron among team members of the Belenenses professional soccer club. Authorities reported that one member recently traveled to South Africa. Its game against Benfica over the weekend had be abandoned at halftime for lack of players.
Quarantining also became an issue when Dutch military police had to arrest a husband and wife who left a hotel where they were being held after testing positive and boarded a plane bound for Spain.
“Quarantine is not obligatory, but we assume people will act responsibly,” spokeswoman Petra Faber said.
Taking no chances, Japan, which has yet to detect any omicron cases, reimposed border controls that it eased earlier this month for short-term business visitors, foreign students and workers.
“We are taking the step as an emergency precaution to prevent a worst-case scenario in Japan,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. The new measures begin Tuesday.
Israel likewise decided to bar entry to foreigners, and Morocco said it would suspend all incoming flights for two weeks starting Monday.
Despite the global worry, scientists cautioned that it is still unclear whether omicron is more alarming than other versions of the virus that has killed more than 5 million people.
And in some parts of the world, authorities were moving in the opposite direction.
In Malaysia, officials went ahead with the partial reopening of a bridge connecting it to the city-state of Singapore. And New Zealand announced it will press ahead with plans to reopen internally after months of shutdown, though it is also restricting travel from nine southern African nations.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that she didn’t anticipate any further restrictions and that bars, restaurants and gyms in Auckland can reopen, ending a coronavirus lockdown that began in August.
Also read: In omicron hot spot, somber mood as S Africa faces variant
“We’ve come through the past two years of COVID in better shape than nearly anywhere in the world,” Ardern said, pointing to low death rates, a growing economy and high vaccination rates.
Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health in the United States, meanwhile, said no data as yet suggests the new variant causes more serious illness than previous versions.
Collins echoed several experts in saying the news should make everyone redouble their efforts to use the tools the world already has, including vaccinations, booster shots and measures such as mask-wearing.
The U.S. is banning travel from South Africa and seven other southern African countries starting Monday. “It’s going to give us a period of time to enhance our preparedness,” the United States’ top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said on ABC’s “This Week.”
Fauci said it will take approximately two more weeks to have more definitive information on the transmissibility, severity and other characteristics of omicron, according to dthe White House.
Omicron: DGHS recommends enforcement of 15 instructions
Amid the growing concern over the new ‘Omicron’ variant of coronavirus, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Monday suggested the implementation of 15 instructions to prevent the spread of the new variant.
The DGHS issued a notice signed by Prof Nazmul Islam, Director of Disease Control, on Sunday night, putting forward the instructions.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also asked all countries to stay alert about the new variant.
Also read: Omicron: What we know about the COVID-19 Variant so far
The UK and other countries have imposed a travel ban on South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and other countries as the new variant is more contagious than the Delta variant.
The DGHS urged all concerned to take measures to enforce those instructions.
Japan bans entry of foreign visitors as omicron spreads
Japan announced Monday it will suspend entry of all foreign visitors from around the world as a new coronavirus variant spreads, prompting an increasing number of countries to tighten their borders.
“We are taking the step as an emergency precaution to prevent a worst-case scenario in Japan,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. He said the measure will take effect Tuesday.
The decision means Japan will restore border controls that it eased earlier this month for short-term business visitors, foreign students and workers.
Kishida urged people to continue with mask wearing and other basic anti-virus measures until further details of the new omicron variant are known.
Many countries have moved to tighten their borders even as scientists warn it’s not clear if the new variant is more alarming than other versions of the virus.
The variant was identified days ago by researchers in South Africa, and much is still not known about it, including whether it is more contagious, more likely to cause serious illness or more able to evade the protection of vaccines. But many countries rushed to act, reflecting anxiety about anything that could prolong the pandemic that has killed more than 5 million people.
Israel decided to bar entry to foreigners, and Morocco said it would suspend all incoming flights for two weeks starting Monday — among the most drastic of a growing raft of travel curbs being imposed by nations around the world as they scrambled to slow the variant’s spread. Scientists in several places — from Hong Kong to Europe to North America — have confirmed its presence. The Netherlands reported 13 omicron cases on Sunday, and both Canada and Australia each found two.
Read:WHO criticizes travel bans on southern African countries
Noting that the variant has already been detected in many countries and that closing borders often has limited effect, the World Health Organization called for frontiers to remain open.
Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health in the United States, meanwhile, emphasized that there is no data yet that suggests the new variant causes more serious illness than previous COVID-19 variants.
“I do think it’s more contagious when you look at how rapidly it spread through multiple districts in South Africa. It has the earmarks therefore of being particularly likely to spread from one person to another. … What we don’t know is whether it can compete with delta,” Collins said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Collins echoed several experts in saying the news should make everyone redouble their efforts to use the tools the world already has, including vaccinations, booster shots and measures such as mask-wearing.
“I know, America, you’re really tired about hearing those things, but the virus is not tired of us,” Collins said.
The Dutch public health authority confirmed that 13 people who arrived from South Africa on Friday have so far tested positive for omicron. They were among 61 people who tested positive for the virus after arriving on the last two flights to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport before a flight ban was implemented. They were immediately put into isolation, most at a nearby hotel.
Canada’s health minister says the country’s first two cases of omicron were found in Ontario after two individuals who had recently traveled from Nigeria tested positive.
Authorities in Australia said two travelers who arrived in Sydney from Africa became the first in the country to test positive for the new variant. Arrivals from nine African countries are now required to quarantine in a hotel upon arrival. Two German states reported a total of three cases in returning travelers over the weekend.
Israel moved to ban entry by foreigners and mandate quarantine for all Israelis arriving from abroad.
And Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday that Japan is considering stepping up border controls. Kishida told reporters that he planned to announce new measures in addition to the current 10-day quarantine requirement for travelers from South Africa and eight other nearby countries. Japan still has its border closed to foreign tourists from any country.
Morocco’s Foreign Ministry tweeted Sunday that all incoming air travel to the North African country would be suspended to “preserve the achievements realized by Morocco in the fight against the pandemic, and to protect the health of citizens.” Morocco has been at the forefront of vaccinations in Africa, and kept its borders closed for months in 2020 because of the pandemic.
The U.S. plans to ban travel from South Africa and seven other southern African countries starting Monday. “It’s going to give us a period of time to enhance our preparedness,” the United States’ top infectious diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said of the ban on ABC’s “This Week.”
Many countries are introducing such bans, though they go against the advice of the WHO, which has warned against any overreaction before the variant is thoroughly studied.
Fauci says it will take approximately two more weeks to have more definitive information on the transmissibility, severity and other characteristics of omicron, according to a statement from the White House.
South Africa’s government responded angrily to the travel bans, which it said are “akin to punishing South Africa for its advanced genomic sequencing and the ability to detect new variants quicker.”
Read:New omicron variant stokes world fears, triggers travel bans
The WHO sent out a statement saying it “stands with African nations” and noting that travel restrictions may play “a role in slightly reducing the spread of COVID-19 but place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods.” It said if restrictions are put in place, they should be scientifically based and not intrusive.
In Europe, much of which already has been struggling recently with a sharp increase in cases, officials were on guard.
The U.K. on Saturday tightened rules on mask-wearing and on testing of international arrivals after finding two omicron cases, but British Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the government was nowhere near reinstituting work from home or more severe social-distancing measures.
“We know now those types of measures do carry a very heavy price, both economically, socially, in terms of non-COVID health outcomes such as impact on mental health,” he told Sky News.
Spain announced it won’t admit unvaccinated British visitors starting Dec. 1. Italy was going through lists of airline passengers who arrived in the past two weeks. France is continuing to push vaccinations and booster shots.
David Hui, a respiratory medicine expert and government adviser on the pandemic in Hong Kong, agreed with that strategy.
He said the two people who tested positive for the omicron variant had received the Pfizer vaccine and exhibited very mild symptoms, such as a sore throat.
“Vaccines should work but there would be some reduction in effectiveness,” he said.
Omicron: What we know about the COVID-19 Variant so far
Omicron, a new type of corona has been identified in South Africa, which is capable of repeated mutation. Due to its structure, it is feared that the new Covid-19 infection may spread in the world. Therefore, concerns have spread in different countries of the world. Restrictions and travel bans are being issued. Further, the World Health Organization (WHO) and scientists around the world have already expressed concern about a new type of coronavirus, Omicron. Here is what we know about Omicron.
What is Omicron?
Omicron is a new variant of Covid-19. Initially, the scientific name of this new Covid-19 variant was B.1.1.529. But it got its name Omicron on November 26. Omicron has been named after the Greek alphabet like alpha and delta. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this type of virus is very worrying, as it has been reported to cause repeated genetic mutations. If you have previously been diagnosed with Corona or are experiencing symptoms that may indicate an infection this could mean re-infection for your concern!
Read: NTAC recommends travel ban to contain new variant Omicron
Where was Omicron first identified?
According to the scientific journal Nature, this Covid-19 variant was first detected in Botswana. Samples collected in Botswana found Omicron on November 11. It was then identified in South Africa after that it was also identified in Hong Kong. However, the information was given by the country soon after the variant was identified in South Africa. In the past two weeks, coronavirus infections are on the rise in Gauteng province of South Africa due to the new strain. Scientists have been studying the adaptive genetic variation in this species, and they found some interesting results. It seems that it came from a person with reduced immunity such as an untreated HIV / AIDS patient.
Why are scientists so worried?
This type of spike protein has more than 30 mutations, which is more than double that of the highly contagious delta variant. Viruses basically use the spike protein to get into our cells. Scientists and doctors have raised concerns that because of this dramatic change in the virus, currently used vaccines may not be able to cope. Based on genetic mutations, scientists predict that Omicron will cause more infections, and it may even affect people with strong immune systems.
Read: In omicron hot spot, somber mood as S Africa faces variant
Is Omicron more contagious than other variants?
Although the extent of the infection is not clear, what is known about the type is very worrying, and the research is ongoing. However, the outbreaks appear to be exacerbated in South Africa. In South Africa, where 50 new daily cases were found in every 100,000, on November 20, the number has increased to 592%. And more than 80% of infections were found in the country's Gauteng province. Preliminary analysis shows that this variation of Covid-19 is rapidly emerging as the dominant type. An early warning has become urgent.
Currently, it is unknown if covid symptoms are going to be changed due to this new variant. Scientists from all around the world are watching this situation closely. It may take some time before we know for sure what caused it and how frightening it is. But until then, there is no strong cause at all to worry about just yet.
However, a closer look at this variant reveals a few things. It is clear that part of the virus that comes in contact with the human body can change the receptor-binding domain ten times. On the other hand, the Delta variant can change only twice.
Read: Dutch, Australians find omicron variant: others halt flights
Will the existing vaccine work against Omicron?
Scientists are worried about new genetic modifications of Omicron. However, researchers predict that these mutations could bypass the immune system. Hence, it would make them extremely effective at spreading covid across the population without being detected by antibodies or any other defense mechanism so far discovered in humans. Since we are now aware that the rate of re-infection, in reality, is higher than other variations, it suggests there may be a change in human immune systems.
Scientists have indicated that the coronavirus vaccines currently available may not provide adequate protection against a new variant. However, people at risk for infection should receive their vaccine immediately in order to reduce transmission rates and severity of illness. But scientists don't know yet how this strain will be different from others already circulating. Hence, we have to wait until any concrete information is published. Till then, proper precautions are mandatory.
After getting the above-mentioned information, some questions have come up about the Omicron variant. These include how quickly can the new variant of COVID-19 spread. Another burning question is that, can the vaccination-induced immune system prevent this Omicron variant? What to do to prevent Omicron from creating infection inside the human body?
Read South African scientists brace for wave propelled by omicron
Is there any risk of a worldwide outbreak?
There has been an increase in the number of infections around South Africa, Botswana, and Hong Kong. Further, one such case was reported from Israel last Thursday, who returned recently; two more people are suspected to be infected as well, with the potential for spreading throughout the country. Belgium and the UK also found affected people. But, so far, this variant has spread at the group level in South Africa mostly. All these shreds of evidence support that Omicron is an outbreak if it is not controlled.
This new variant has already caused a stir around the world; The European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, India, and other countries have imposed border restrictions.
Read Britain tightens COVID rules as world on alert over omicron
How is Omicron different from other variants?
The variant has changed the gene pattern much more often than the other variants found so far; One group of scientists described it as "terrible," and another said they had never seen a worse variant. Some of the mutations found in B.1.1.529 have been seen in other variants before. As a result of these mutations, the new COVID-19 variant Omicron is expected to become infected quickly. But there are other mutations in the new variant that may prevent the body's antibodies from detecting the virus, and the vaccine will be relatively less effective, scientists say.
What we know and don’t know on new COVID variant
South African scientists identified a new version of the coronavirus that they say is behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections in Gauteng, the country's most populous province.
It's unclear where the new variant first emerged, but scientists in South Africa alerted the World Health Organization in recent days, and it has now been seen in travelers arriving in several countries, from Australia to Israel to the Netherlands.
On Friday, the WHO designated it as a "variant of concern," naming it "omicron" after a letter in the Greek alphabet.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT OMICRON?
Health Minister Joe Phaahla said the variant was linked to an "exponential rise" of cases in the last few days.
From just over 200 new confirmed cases per day in recent weeks, South Africa saw the number of new daily cases rocket to more than 3,200 Saturday, most in Gauteng.
Struggling to explain the sudden rise in cases, scientists studied virus samples and discovered the new variant. Now, as many as 90% of the new cases in Gauteng are caused by it, according to Tulio de Oliveira, director of the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform.
WHY ARE SCIENTISTS WORRIED ABOUT THIS NEW VARIANT?
After convening a group of experts to assess the data, the WHO said that "preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant," as compared to other variants.
That means people who contracted COVID-19 and recovered could be subject to catching it again.
The variant appears to have a high number of mutations — about 30 — in the coronavirus' spike protein, which could affect how easily it spreads to people.
Sharon Peacock, who has led genetic sequencing of COVID-19 in Britain at the University of Cambridge, said the data so far suggest the new variant has mutations "consistent with enhanced transmissibility," but said that "the significance of many of the mutations is still not known."
Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick, described omicron as "the most heavily mutated version of the virus we have seen," including potentially worrying changes never before seen all in the same virus.
READ: What is this new COVID variant in South Africa?
WHAT'S KNOWN AND NOT KNOWN ABOUT THE VARIANT?
Scientists know that omicron is genetically distinct from previous variants including the beta and delta variants, but do not know if these genetic changes make it any more transmissible or dangerous. So far, there is no indication the variant causes more severe disease.
It will likely take weeks to sort out if omicron is more infectious and if vaccines are still effective against it.
Peter Openshaw, a professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London said it was "extremely unlikely" that current vaccines wouldn't work, noting they are effective against numerous other variants.
Dutch, Australians find omicron variant: others halt flights
The Netherlands confirmed 13 cases of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus on Sunday and Australia found two as the countries half a world apart became the latest to detect it in travelers arriving from southern Africa.
Israel decided to bar entry to foreigners and Morocco said it would suspend all incoming air travel from around the world for two weeks starting Monday — the most drastic of a growing raft of travel curbs being imposed by nations around the world as they scramble to slow the variant's spread.
Confirmed or suspected cases of the new variant have already emerged in several European countries, in Israel and in Hong Kong, just days after it was identified by researchers in South Africa. The "act first, ask questions later" approach reflected growing alarm about the emergence of a potentially more contagious variant nearly two years into a pandemic that has killed more than 5 million people, upended lives and disrupted economies across the globe.
While much remains to be learned about the new variant, researchers are concerned that it may be more resistant to the protection provided by vaccines and could mean that the pandemic lasts for longer than anticipated.
The Dutch public health authority confirmed that 13 people who arrived from South Africa on Friday have so far tested positive for omicron. They were among 61 people who tested positive for the virus after arriving on the last two flights to Amsterdam's Schiphol airport before a flight ban was implemented. They were immediately put into isolation, most at a nearby hotel, while sequencing was carried out.
Authorities in Australia said two overseas travelers who arrived in Sydney from Africa became the first in the country to test positive for the omicron variant. Arrivals from nine African countries are now required to quarantine in a hotel upon arrival. Two German states reported a total of three cases in returning travelers over the weekend.
Read: South African scientists brace for wave propelled by omicron
Israel moved to ban entry by foreigners and mandate quarantine for all Israelis arriving from abroad.
"Restrictions on the country's borders is not an easy step, but it's a temporary and necessary step," Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting.
Dr. Ran Balicer, head of the government's advisory panel on COVID-19, told Israel's Kan public radio that the new measures were necessary for the "fog of war" surrounding the new variant, saying it was "better to act early and strictly" to prevent its spread.
Morocco's Foreign Ministry tweeted Sunday that all incoming air travel to the North African country would be suspended to "preserve the achievements realized by Morocco in the fight against the pandemic, and to protect the health of citizens." Morocco has been at the forefront of vaccinations in Africa, and kept its borders closed for months in 2020 because of the pandemic.
Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said he asked his country's public health institute for advice on whether additional travel restrictions are needed, but he wants to coordinate with his European Union counterparts because "I think those are really steps that we will have to take together."
Many countries have restricted or banned travel from various southern African countries — among the latest New Zealand, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Places that already had imposed restrictions include Brazil, Canada, the EU, Iran, and the U.S. This goes against the advice of the World Health Organization, which has warned against any overreaction before the variant is thoroughly studied.
South Africa's government responded angrily to the travel bans, which it said are "akin to punishing South Africa for its advanced genomic sequencing and the ability to detect new variants quicker." It said it will try to persuade countries that imposed them to reconsider.
"Whilst we respect the right of all countries to take the necessary precautionary measures to protect their citizens, we need to remember that this pandemic requires collaboration and sharing of expertise," the minister for international relations and cooperation, Naledi Pandor, said in a statement.
Read: Britain tightens COVID rules as world on alert over omicron
The United States' top infectious diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said he wouldn't be surprised if the omicron variant was already in the U.S., though it hasn't yet been detected there.
In Europe, much of which already has been struggling with a sharp increase in cases over recent weeks, officials also were on guard.
The U.K. on Saturday tightened rules on mask-wearing and on testing of international arrivals after finding two omicron cases. Spain announced it won't admit unvaccinated British visitors starting Dec. 1.
Italy was going through lists of airline passengers who arrived in the past two weeks after a business traveler who returned from Mozambique and landed in Rome on Nov. 11 tested positive for omicron. The Lazio region's top health official, Alessio D'Amato, said that "controls at airports, ports and train stations have been reinforced."
French Health Minister Olivier Veran said that, while his country had no confirmed cases yet, "it is probable that there currently are cases in circulation."
While it is not clear yet how existing vaccines work against the omicron variant, Veran said France isn't changing its strategy to fight the latest surge of infections driven by the delta variant, which centers on increasing vaccinations and boosters.
David Hui, a respiratory medicine expert and government adviser on the pandemic in Hong Kong, said that even though it is not clear if current coronavirus vaccines are effective against the new variant, the city's vaccination rate should be increased and booster doses should be implemented as soon as possible.
He said the two people who tested positive for the omicron variant had received the Pfizer shot and exhibited very mild symptoms, such as a sore throat.
"Vaccines should work but there would be some reduction in effectiveness," he said.
NTAC recommends travel ban to contain new variant Omicron
The National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 has recommended a travel ban to Bangladesh from the countries where the new variant of the virus Omicron has spread.
The recommendation was made at the 47th meeting of the committee on Sunday, said Dr Mohammad Shahidullah, president of the NTAC in a press release.
Read:South African scientists brace for wave propelled by omicron
The committee also recommended institutional quarantine for travelers who have traveled to the countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, in the last 14 days.
The NTAC also called for setting up screening at all ports of entry and asked to avoid public gatherings.
Moreover, they recommended arranging Covid-19 tests free of cost to encourage people to get tested more frequently.
Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the world raced Friday to contain a new coronavirus variant potentially more dangerous than the one that has fueled relentless waves of infection on nearly every continent.
Read: Britain tightens COVID rules as world on alert over omicron
A World Health Organization panel named the variant “omicron” and classified it as a highly transmissible virus of concern, the same category that includes the predominant delta variant, which is still a scourge driving higher cases of sickness and death in Europe and parts of the United States.
Global Covid cases near 261 million amid Omicron concerns
The overall global number of Covid cases is fast approaching 261 million as the new potentially more contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in more European countries.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 261,026,727 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,194,353 Sunday morning.
The US has recorded 48,201,840 cases to date and more than 776, 571 people have died so far from the virus in the country, as per the university data.
Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, has registered 22,076,863 cases so far, while its Covid death toll rose to 614,186.
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 34,563,749 on Saturday, as 8,318 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry data.
Besides, another 465 deaths due to the pandemic were reported since Saturday morning, taking the total death toll to 467,933.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported two more Covid-linked deaths along with 155 fresh cases in 24 hours till Saturday morning.
On Friday, the country registered two Covid-related deaths and 239 cases.
With this, the daily-case positivity rate increased to 1.15 per cent from Friday’s 1.49 per cent, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
With the fresh numbers, the total fatalities rose to 27,975 while the caseload mounted to 15,75,579.
Among the latest deceased, one was a woman and another man -- both were from Dhaka division.
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.78 per cent.
READ: Global Covid cases near 261 million
The fresh cases were detected after testing 13,462 samples, the DGHS added.
Besides, the recovery rate stood at 97.74 per cent with the recovery of 188 more patients during the 24-hour period.
On November 20, Bangladesh logged this year’s first zero Covid-linked deaths with 178 cases.
Public health experts have, however, warned that the current downward trend of Covid-19 cases in Bangladesh could well be the obvious calm before a cataclysmic storm.
Their fear centres around children below 12 who remain out of the vaccine coverage and the elderly people, according to the experts.
READ: Global Covid cases near 260 million
The experts fear a slow pace of vaccination, waning vaccine immunity, sheer disregard for Covid safety protocols, reopening of schools and increased travel may set the stage for another Covid wave in Bangladesh -- a trend many European countries are witnessing now.
Britain tightens COVID rules as world on alert over omicron
The U.K. tightened up rules Saturday on mask-wearing and on testing of international arrivals after finding two cases of the new potentially more contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus as governments around the world sought to shore up their defenses.
Amid fears that the recently identified new variant has the potential to be more resistant to the protection offered by vaccines, there are growing concerns that the pandemic and associated lockdown restrictions will persist for far longer than hoped.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was necessary to take "targeted and precautionary measures" after two people tested positive for the new variant in England, and that these will be reviewed in three weeks when scientists will know more about omicron.
Johnson told a news conference that anyone arriving in England will be asked to take a a mandatory PCR test for COVID-19 on the second day and must self isolate until they provide a negative test. And if someone tests positive for the omicron variant, then he said their close contacts will have to self-isolate for 10 days regardless of their vaccination status.
He also said mask-wearing in shops and on public transport will be required and that the vaccination program will be accelerated, without providing specific details.
"Right now this is the responsible course of action to slow down the seeding and the spread of this new variant and to maximize our defenses," he said. "From today we're going to boost the booster campaign."
One of the two new cases was found in the southeastern English town of Brentwood, while the other is in the central city of Nottingham. The two cases are linked and involve travel from southern Africa. The two confirmed cases are self-isolating alongside their households while contact tracing and targeted testing takes place.
The British government also added four more countries — Angola, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia — onto the country's travel red list from Sunday. Six others — Botswana, Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland), Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe — were added Friday. That means anyone permitted to arrive from those destinations will have to quarantine.
Many countries have slapped restrictions on various southern African countries over the past couple of days including Australia, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Iran, Japan, Thailand and the United States, in response to warnings over the transmissability of the new variant — against the advice of the World Health Organization.
READ: What is this new COVID variant in South Africa?
Despite the banning of flights, there are mounting concerns that the variant has already been widely seeded around the world. In addition to the U.K, cases have been reported in travelers in Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong. Germany also said it suspected a positive case and Dutch authorities were testing whether 61 people who arrived on two flights from South Africa with COVID-19 have the omicron variant.
The planes arrived in the Netherlands from Johannesburg and Cape Town shortly after the Dutch government imposed a ban on flights from southern African nations. The 539 travelers who tested negative were allowed to return home or continue their journeys to other countries. Under government regulations, those who live in the Netherlands and are allowed to return home must self-isolate for at least five days.
Meanwhile, a German official said that there's a "very high probability" that the omicron variant has already arrived in the country.
Kai Klose, the health minister for Hesse state, which includes Frankfurt, said in a tweet that "several mutations typical of omicron" were found Friday night in a traveler returning from South Africa, who was isolated at home. Sequencing of the test had yet to be completed.
Italian authorities in the southern region of Campania were also investigating whether a person who recently returned home from southern Africa and who has tested positive for the virus was infected with the omicron variant.
The global health body has named the new variant omicron, labeling it a variant of concern because of its high number of mutations and some early evidence that it carries a higher degree of infection than other variants. That means people who contracted COVID-19 and recovered could be subject to catching it again. It could take weeks to know if current vaccines are less effective against it.
With so much uncertainty about the omicron variant and scientists unlikely to flesh out their findings for a few weeks, countries around the world have been taking a safety-first approach, in the knowledge that previous outbreaks of the pandemic have been partly fueled by lax border policies.
Nearly two years on since the start of the pandemic that has claimed more than 5 million lives around the world, countries are on high alert.
The variant's swift spread among young people in South Africa has alarmed health professionals even though there was no immediate indication whether the variant causes more severe disease.
READ: World races to contain new COVID threat, the omicron variant
A number of pharmaceutical firms, including AstraZeneca, Moderna, Novavax and Pfizer, said they have plans in place to adapt their vaccines in light of the emergence of omicron. Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said they expect to be able to tweak their vaccine in around 100 days.
Professor Andrew Pollard, the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group which developed the AstraZeneca vaccine, expressed cautious optimism that existing vaccines could be effective at preventing serious disease from the omicron variant.
He said most of the mutations appear to be in similar regions as those in other variants.
"At least from a speculative point of view we have some optimism that the vaccine should still work against a new variant for serious disease but really we need to wait several weeks to have that confirmed," he told BBC radio.
He added that it is "extremely unlikely that a reboot of a pandemic in a vaccinated population like we saw last year is going to happen."
Some experts said the variant's emergence illustrated how rich countries' hoarding of vaccines threatens to prolong the pandemic.
Fewer than 6% of people in Africa have been fully immunized against COVID-19, and millions of health workers and vulnerable populations have yet to receive a single dose. Those conditions can speed up spread of the virus, offering more opportunities for it to evolve into a dangerous variant.
"One of the key factors to emergence of variants may well be low vaccination rates in parts of the world, and the WHO warning that none of us is safe until all of us are safe and should be heeded," said Peter Openshaw, a professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London.
Covid’s new variant: Bangladesh plans to ban flights with South Africa
Expressing concern over the new Covid variant, ‘Omicron’, the government has planned to suspend flights with South Africa, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque.
“The (health) ministry is aware of the new variant and directives have already been given to take necessary steps to tackle it in Bangladesh and the authorities concerned of the health sector have been asked to remain alert,” he said.
The minister came up with the information in an audio message while going to Geneva on Saturday to participate in the ‘World Health Assembly Second Special Session’.
Terming the new variant as ‘aggressive’, Zahid urged all not to panic and maintain the health protocol strictly.
“The authorities concerned at our airports and land ports have been asked to strengthen screening while people entering the country,” he said.
READ: What is this new COVID variant in South Africa?
Besides, the minister said, the deputy commissioners concerned have been asked to take steps to ensure the use of masks and abiding by health guidelines by people.
New Covid variant
South African scientists identified a new version of the coronavirus this week that they say is behind a recent spike in Covid-19 infections in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province.
It is not clear yet where the new variant first emerged, but scientists in South Africa earlier alerted the World Health Organization and it has now been seen in travellers to Belgium, Botswana, Hong Kong and Israel, reports news agency AP.
In a statement on Friday, the WHO designated it as a “variant of concern,” naming it “Omicron” after a letter in the Greek alphabet.
After convening a group of experts to assess the data, the UN health agency said “preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant,” as compared to other variants.
READ: World races to contain new COVID threat, the omicron variant
“The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa,” the WHO said.
Meanwhile, South Africa said imposing restrictions on travellers from the country because of a newly identified Covid-19 variant was unjustified.