&nbsp;As India reports a high number of Omicron BA.2 cases, a top Health Expert has said it is not a cause of concern because it will not lead to another COVID-19 surge in the country.

Speaking to ANI, Co-Chairman National IMA COVID Task Force Dr Rajeev Jayadevan said that BA.2 is a sub-lineage of Omicron variant, which fuelled the third wave in the country.According to him, BA.2 cannot infect those who have previously had BA.1 sub-variant of COVID-19.

"It will not cause another surge. BA.2 is not capable of infecting people who had BA.1. It's not a new virus or strain. BA.2 is a sub-lineage of Omicron," Dr Jayadevan said. The Expert further said that BA.2 will be more transmissible than BA.1 and it has mutated to increase its transmissibility.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/low-omicron-efficacy-behind-delay-of-pfizer-covid-vaccine-for-kids-under-5-wsj-454430">Low Omicron efficacy behind delay of Pfizer COVID vaccine for kids under 5: WSJ</a>

"BA.2 is a little bit more transmissible than BA.1. For the last two years, it has constantly evolved to increase its fitness, which is its ability to infect more people and to leap past natural immunity and vaccinated immunity," he said.

Dr Jayadevan also said that the Omicron variant showed that vaccine immunity can be "easily surpassed by variants" and this trend will continue to be seen in future, if new variants emerge after mutation of the virus.

"Omicron showed that even vaccine immunity can be easily surpassed by variants and this trend will be expected in the future as new variants arrive. But BA.1 and BA.2 both have immune escape ability which means that if you've been naturally infected, or if you've been vaccinated or both, this virus can still infect us," he noted.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/the-worst-is-yet-to-come-study-finds-that-omicron-is-10-times-better-than-delta-at-evading-covid-vaccines-454212">'The worst is yet to come': Study finds that Omicron is 10 times better than Delta at evading Covid vaccines</a>

Explaining the nature of BA.2, Dr Jayadevan said, "It is the sub-lineage of Omicron and is essentially as same as Omicron that was identified in November in South Africa. It now has BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3." He also said that virus will be around for a very long time time." Virus is going to be around. It will come in ups and downs for a very long time. When the next variant comes, there will be a surge. We do not know when that will be, but history says that it can happen once inevitably six to eight months and that is typically how it acts."

"But until then, we are now in the low phase Omicron. However, what we should remember is this virus is around which means that we must do everything we can to stop it from infecting us," he added.Citing a study conducted on hamsters in Japan, Dr Jayadevan said that BA.2 may cause severe lung disease. "As of today, symptoms of Omicron are no different between BA.1 and BA.2. So there is no difference in severity.

Watch |&nbsp;Will vaccines work against BA.2, the new sub-variant of Omicron? Covid-19

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/will-vaccines-work-against-ba2-the-new-sub-variant-of-omicron-covid-19-454480/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

However, there is a study from Japan done on hamsters. In this study, hamsters showed that BA.2 involved the lungs more than BA.1. "On the trend of the Omicron BA.2 cases globally, he said, "It is believed that BA.2 is increasing in India. But in several other Asian countries in the region and across Europe, the prevalence is slowly increasing, particularly in Denmark. There's a slight increase in the United States and also in Britain."&nbsp;

As India reports a high number of Omicron BA.2 cases, a top Health Expert has said it is not a cause of concern because it will not lead to another COVID-19 surge in the country.

As India reports a high number of Omicron BA.2 cases, a top Health Expert has said it is not a cause of concern because it will not lead to another COVID-19 surge in the country. Speaking to ANI, Co-Chairman National IMA COVID Task Force Dr Rajeev Jayadevan said that BA.2 is a sub-lineage of Omicron variant, which fuelled the third wave in the country.According to him, BA.2 cannot infect those who have previously had BA.1 sub-variant of COVID-19. "It will not cause another surge. BA.2 is not capable of infecting people who had BA.1. It's not a new virus or strain. BA.2 is a sub-lineage of Omicron," Dr Jayadevan said. The Expert further said that BA.2 will be more transmissible than BA.1 and it has mutated to increase its transmissibility. Also read | Low Omicron efficacy behind delay of Pfizer COVID vaccine for kids under 5: WSJ "BA.2 is a little bit more transmissible than BA.1. For the last two years, it has constantly evolved to increase its fitness, which is its ability to infect more people and to leap past natural immunity and vaccinated immunity," he said. Dr Jayadevan also said that the Omicron variant showed that vaccine immunity can be "easily surpassed by variants" and this trend will continue to be seen in future, if new variants emerge after mutation of the virus. "Omicron showed that even vaccine immunity can be easily surpassed by variants and this trend will be expected in the future as new variants arrive. But BA.1 and BA.2 both have immune escape ability which means that if you've been naturally infected, or if you've been vaccinated or both, this virus can still infect us," he noted. Also read | 'The worst is yet to come': Study finds that Omicron is 10 times better than Delta at evading Covid vaccines Explaining the nature of BA.2, Dr Jayadevan said, "It is the sub-lineage of Omicron and is essentially as same as Omicron that was identified in November in South Africa. It now has BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3." He also said that virus will be around for a very long time time." Virus is going to be around. It will come in ups and downs for a very long time. When the next variant comes, there will be a surge. We do not know when that will be, but history says that it can happen once inevitably six to eight months and that is typically how it acts." "But until then, we are now in the low phase Omicron. However, what we should remember is this virus is around which means that we must do everything we can to stop it from infecting us," he added.Citing a study conducted on hamsters in Japan, Dr Jayadevan said that BA.2 may cause severe lung disease. "As of today, symptoms of Omicron are no different between BA.1 and BA.2. So there is no difference in severity. Watch | Will vaccines work against BA.2, the new sub-variant of Omicron? Covid-19 However, there is a study from Japan done on hamsters. In this study, hamsters showed that BA.2 involved the lungs more than BA.1. "On the trend of the Omicron BA.2 cases globally, he said, "It is believed that BA.2 is increasing in India. But in several other Asian countries in the region and across Europe, the prevalence is slowly increasing, particularly in Denmark. There's a slight increase in the United States and also in Britain."

Omicron BA.2 will not cause another COVID-19 surge, says expert

Paramount+ series 'Star Trek: Picard' production has been suspended after the cast and crew&nbsp;of the team tested positive for Covid-19.&nbsp; 
 
Sources say more than 50 members of the large production tested positive, which was the first day of work after the Christmas break. The Patrick Stewart-led series has one of television’s biggest crews with over 450 staffers.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/feeling-like-march-2020-heres-how-covid-omicron-is-affecting-entertainment-again-438366">Feeling like March 2020? Here's how Covid Omicron is affecting entertainment again</a> 
 
The virus has “impacted multiple zones, including cast in zone A” on the set. Although production is expected to start up again early next week already. 
 
Production had been underway on Season 3 of the series, which follows Stewart’s titular character into the next chapter of his life. &nbsp;The show was formally renewed for a third season in September, with seasons two and three being filmed back to back.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-kanye-west-and-julia-fox-confirm-they-are-dating-with-a-steamy-photo-shoot-442842" hreflang="en">Kanye West and Julia Fox confirm they are dating with a steamy photo shoot&nbsp;</a>

The series also stars Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, Jeri Ryan, Orla Brady and Brent Spiner also star. 
 
Numerous shows production has been postponed due to the Covid-19 new variant Omicorn surge.&nbsp;

Paramount+ series 'Star Trek: Picard' production has been suspended after the cast and crew of the team tested positive for Covid-19. Sources say more than 50 members of the large production tested positive, which was the first day of work after the Christmas break.

Paramount+ series 'Star Trek: Picard' production has been suspended after the cast and crew of the team tested positive for Covid-19. Sources say more than 50 members of the large production tested positive, which was the first day of work after the Christmas break. The Patrick Stewart-led series has one of television’s biggest crews with over 450 staffers. Feeling like March 2020? Here's how Covid Omicron is affecting entertainment again The virus has “impacted multiple zones, including cast in zone A” on the set. Although production is expected to start up again early next week already. Production had been underway on Season 3 of the series, which follows Stewart’s titular character into the next chapter of his life. The show was formally renewed for a third season in September, with seasons two and three being filmed back to back. Kanye West and Julia Fox confirm they are dating with a steamy photo shoot The series also stars Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, Jeri Ryan, Orla Brady and Brent Spiner also star. Numerous shows production has been postponed due to the Covid-19 new variant Omicorn surge.

'Star Trek: Picard’ production paused after 50 test positive for Covid-19

Hong Kong announced a series of strict pandemic control measures Wednesday, including suspending flights from the United States and seven other countries, as it scrambled to control an incipient omicron outbreak.

The new measures will deepen the city’s isolation from the outside world and mark a return to the tough restrictions from the early days of the pandemic. Hong Kong has largely brought the coronavirus under control, but the arrival of omicron threatens to set off the city’s fifth wave of the pandemic.

“Given the very dire situation of the pandemic, we have to grasp this critical moment,” Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, said at a news conference announcing the new rules.

A day earlier, Lam had said that no new social-distancing measures were expected. But the spread of omicron, including the infection of a person with no clear connections to the city’s first omicron cluster, evidently forced a change.

“We have to contain the pandemic to make sure there will not be a major outbreak in the community again,” she said. “We are racing with omicron, a highly transmissible variant.”

The restrictions will make it even harder to enter Hong Kong, which already has one of the world’s longest quarantines — up to three weeks. Under the new rules, flights will be temporarily banned from Australia, Britain, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines and United States for two weeks starting on Saturday. People who have recently been in those countries will also be barred from traveling by other routes.

Large public events will be canceled, and several public venues — including bars, gyms and karaoke parlors — will be closed. Visits to hospitals and nursing homes will also be banned for two weeks. Dining in restaurants will be banned after 6 p.m. But the government decided not to stop in-person teaching or require government officials to work from home.

Hong Kong has had a growing number of imported cases of the omicron variant, with 133 as of Tuesday.

“If this continues, there will be tremendous strain on our quarantine and health care facilities,” said Dr. Ronald Lam, Hong Kong’s director of health.

The omicron outbreak in the city has been traced to a Cathay Pacific flight attendant who ignored quarantine requirements after returning from the United States. He dined at the Moon Palace restaurant in the upscale Fashion Walk shopping mall on Dec. 27, infecting his father and at least one other person.

Lam said the measures were most likely “the most decisive, rapid, targeted and comprehensive for the past two years so that we can cut the transmission chains as soon as possible.”

The restrictions came as Hong Kong health authorities on Wednesday ordered a Royal Caribbean cruise ship to return to port early as officials searched for the contacts of a COVID-19 patient.

Nine people who boarded the ship, the Spectrum of the Seas, on Jan. 2 had come into contact with the patient, who did not board the ship, the government said in a statement. The people were told to quarantine as soon as they were identified as contacts, though they preliminarily tested negative. 
&nbsp;

Hong Kong announced a series of strict pandemic control measures Wednesday, including suspending flights from the United States and seven other countries, as it scrambled to control an incipient omicron outbreak.

Hong Kong announced a series of strict pandemic control measures Wednesday, including suspending flights from the United States and seven other countries, as it scrambled to control an incipient omicron outbreak. The new measures will deepen the city’s isolation from the outside world and mark a return to the tough restrictions from the early days of the pandemic. Hong Kong has largely brought the coronavirus under control, but the arrival of omicron threatens to set off the city’s fifth wave of the pandemic. “Given the very dire situation of the pandemic, we have to grasp this critical moment,” Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, said at a news conference announcing the new rules. A day earlier, Lam had said that no new social-distancing measures were expected. But the spread of omicron, including the infection of a person with no clear connections to the city’s first omicron cluster, evidently forced a change. “We have to contain the pandemic to make sure there will not be a major outbreak in the community again,” she said. “We are racing with omicron, a highly transmissible variant.” The restrictions will make it even harder to enter Hong Kong, which already has one of the world’s longest quarantines — up to three weeks. Under the new rules, flights will be temporarily banned from Australia, Britain, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines and United States for two weeks starting on Saturday. People who have recently been in those countries will also be barred from traveling by other routes. Large public events will be canceled, and several public venues — including bars, gyms and karaoke parlors — will be closed. Visits to hospitals and nursing homes will also be banned for two weeks. Dining in restaurants will be banned after 6 p.m. But the government decided not to stop in-person teaching or require government officials to work from home. Hong Kong has had a growing number of imported cases of the omicron variant, with 133 as of Tuesday. “If this continues, there will be tremendous strain on our quarantine and health care facilities,” said Dr. Ronald Lam, Hong Kong’s director of health. The omicron outbreak in the city has been traced to a Cathay Pacific flight attendant who ignored quarantine requirements after returning from the United States. He dined at the Moon Palace restaurant in the upscale Fashion Walk shopping mall on Dec. 27, infecting his father and at least one other person. Lam said the measures were most likely “the most decisive, rapid, targeted and comprehensive for the past two years so that we can cut the transmission chains as soon as possible.” The restrictions came as Hong Kong health authorities on Wednesday ordered a Royal Caribbean cruise ship to return to port early as officials searched for the contacts of a COVID-19 patient. Nine people who boarded the ship, the Spectrum of the Seas, on Jan. 2 had come into contact with the patient, who did not board the ship, the government said in a statement. The people were told to quarantine as soon as they were identified as contacts, though they preliminarily tested negative.

Hong Kong suspends flights from 8 countries, including US

A US-based doctor has claimed that, the fast-spreading Omicron variant is “nothing more than a seasonal cold virus” and has warned against "overreaction and over-reach".

'Omicron is nothing more than a seasonal cold virus', claims US-based doctor

The number of Omicron cases rising in the United Kingdom has been enormously worrying for the authorities. Experts have warned that Omicron variant could become the dominant strain in the United Kingdom by the end of December.

United Kingdom reports rapid spread of the Omicron variant

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans to prioritise getting vaccinated in order to avoid hospitalisation and serious illness amidst the spread of new Covid variant, Omicron. &nbsp;

The World Health Organisation has named it Omicron and has declared it a ‘variant of concern’. &nbsp;

The Omicron variant was first described in Botswana and subsequently in South Africa and scientists have also identified cases in countries, such as Hong Kong, Australia, Belgium, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Denmark and Israel. &nbsp;

The identification of Omicron coincides with a sudden rise in COVID-19 infections. This rise has been centered at Gauteng while the cases are also rising in other provinces. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-omicron-variant-causing-mild-disease-says-south-african-medical-association-slams-hype-432552">South Africa medical body slams 'hype' over Covid Omicron variant</a>

"If cases continue to climb, we can expect to enter a fourth wave of infections within the next few weeks, if not sooner. This should not come as a surprise,” said Ramaphosa. &nbsp;

Epidemiologists and disease modellers have also told us that we should expect a fourth wave in early December, added the president. &nbsp;

“Scientists have also told us to expect the emergence of new variants," Ramaphosa said in address to the nation on Sunday. &nbsp;

So far, 41 per cent of the adult population in South Africa have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine and 35.6 per cent of adult South Africans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. &nbsp;

Significantly, 57 per cent of people, who are 60 years old and above, are fully vaccinated and 53 per cent of people, who are aged between 50 and 60, are fully vaccinated. &nbsp;

"Tonight, I would like to call on every person, who has not been vaccinated to go to their nearest vaccination station without delay...Vaccination is by far the most important way to protect yourself and those around you against the Omicron variant to reduce the impact of the fourth wave and to help restore the social freedoms we all yearn for," the president urged. &nbsp;

He added that government has also set up a task team that will undertake broad consultations on making vaccination mandatory for specific activities and locations. &nbsp;

"We realise that the introduction of such measures is a difficult and complex issue, but if we do not address this seriously and as a matter of urgency, we will continue to be vulnerable to new variants and will continue to suffer new waves of infection," Ramaphosa added. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/disappointed-president-cyril-ramaphosa-urges-countries-to-reverse-unjustified-travel-bans-432642">President Cyril Ramaphosa urges countries to reverse 'unjustified' travel bans</a>

Meanwhile, the government has decided that the country will continue to remain on Coronavirus Alert Level 1 for now and the National State of Disaster will remain in place. &nbsp;

"In taking the decision to not impose further restrictions at this stage, we considered the fact that when we encountered previous waves of infection, vaccines were not widely available and far fewer people were vaccinated. &nbsp;

That is no longer the case. Vaccines are available to anyone aged 12 and above, free of charge, at thousands of sites across the country. We know that they prevent severe disease and hospitalisation, the president said. &nbsp;

Shortly before his speech, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases on Sunday reported 2,858 new Covid cases, with 18 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours. &nbsp;

The proportion of positive new cases against the total new tested is 9.8%, which is higher than Saturday's (9.2%). The seven-day average is 6.1%. &nbsp;

The majority of new cases on Sunday were from Gauteng (81%), followed by the Western Cape accounting for 5% and KwaZulu-Natal accounted for 4%.&nbsp;

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans to prioritise getting vaccinated in order to avoid hospitalisation and serious illness amidst the spread of new Covid variant, Omicron.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans to prioritise getting vaccinated in order to avoid hospitalisation and serious illness amidst the spread of new Covid variant, Omicron. The World Health Organisation has named it Omicron and has declared it a ‘variant of concern’. The Omicron variant was first described in Botswana and subsequently in South Africa and scientists have also identified cases in countries, such as Hong Kong, Australia, Belgium, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Denmark and Israel. The identification of Omicron coincides with a sudden rise in COVID-19 infections. This rise has been centered at Gauteng while the cases are also rising in other provinces. Also Read: South Africa medical body slams 'hype' over Covid Omicron variant "If cases continue to climb, we can expect to enter a fourth wave of infections within the next few weeks, if not sooner. This should not come as a surprise,” said Ramaphosa. Epidemiologists and disease modellers have also told us that we should expect a fourth wave in early December, added the president. “Scientists have also told us to expect the emergence of new variants," Ramaphosa said in address to the nation on Sunday. So far, 41 per cent of the adult population in South Africa have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine and 35.6 per cent of adult South Africans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Significantly, 57 per cent of people, who are 60 years old and above, are fully vaccinated and 53 per cent of people, who are aged between 50 and 60, are fully vaccinated. "Tonight, I would like to call on every person, who has not been vaccinated to go to their nearest vaccination station without delay...Vaccination is by far the most important way to protect yourself and those around you against the Omicron variant to reduce the impact of the fourth wave and to help restore the social freedoms we all yearn for," the president urged. He added that government has also set up a task team that will undertake broad consultations on making vaccination mandatory for specific activities and locations. "We realise that the introduction of such measures is a difficult and complex issue, but if we do not address this seriously and as a matter of urgency, we will continue to be vulnerable to new variants and will continue to suffer new waves of infection," Ramaphosa added. Also Read: President Cyril Ramaphosa urges countries to reverse 'unjustified' travel bans Meanwhile, the government has decided that the country will continue to remain on Coronavirus Alert Level 1 for now and the National State of Disaster will remain in place. "In taking the decision to not impose further restrictions at this stage, we considered the fact that when we encountered previous waves of infection, vaccines were not widely available and far fewer people were vaccinated. That is no longer the case. Vaccines are available to anyone aged 12 and above, free of charge, at thousands of sites across the country. We know that they prevent severe disease and hospitalisation, the president said. Shortly before his speech, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases on Sunday reported 2,858 new Covid cases, with 18 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours. The proportion of positive new cases against the total new tested is 9.8%, which is higher than Saturday's (9.2%). The seven-day average is 6.1%. The majority of new cases on Sunday were from Gauteng (81%), followed by the Western Cape accounting for 5% and KwaZulu-Natal accounted for 4%.

As Omicron spreads, President Ramaphosa urges South Africans to get vaccinated

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