When the World Health Organization (WHO) named the new Covid variant as ‘Omicron’, they did not realise it would become a nightmare for a businessman in other part of the world. <o:p></o:p>

While the WHO is busy trying to fight the new variant and protect the humankind from a growing pandemic, a Siberian entrepreneur has sued the organisation for ruining the image of his business.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-omicron-in-india-updates-two-cases-found-in-karnataka-433212">New Variant LIVE: UK reports 75 more Omicron cases; confirmed cases rise to 134</a></o:p>

The CEO of the Omicron Network of ophthalmology clinics has filed a case against the global organisation. Alexander Padar, the CEO, has alleged that the naming of the new Covid variant is bound to cause harm to his business.<o:p></o:p>

"Our name is a registered trademark, primarily in the field of medicine and healthcare, since this is our core service," he said. <o:p></o:p>

The businessman had invested a huge sum of money for marketing his clinics all around the world. However, now, due to the new Covid variant name and its rapid outbreak, when someone searches for his clinics, they only see news and information about the Covid variant. "Think about it, if someone dies from ‘Omicron’ – your relative or friend, you are unlikely to go to the clinic with the same name," he explained.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-omicron-cases-spread-to-over-30-countries-433961">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-omicron-cases-spread-to-over-30-countries-433961/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Increase in the spread of this variant and the growing number of cases around the world are bound to bring irreparable financial losses for him and his company, Padar fears.<o:p></o:p>

WHO has been naming the Covid variants after the letters of the Greek alphabet to make sure they are able to steer clear of geographical and political bias and stereotypes.<o:p></o:p>

Meanwhile, the Omicron variant has been spreading around the world at a fast rate, and several countries are now going back to their 2020 defense strategies such as limiting travel, routine RT-PCR tests, necessary lockdowns, social distancing and mask mandates.<o:p></o:p>

Researchers believe at least one mutation in Omicron variant of COVID-19 seems to have been acquired from the common cold virus<o:p></o:p>

When the World Health Organization (WHO) named the new Covid variant as ‘Omicron’, they did not realise it would become a nightmare for a businessman in other part of the world.

When the World Health Organization (WHO) named the new Covid variant as ‘Omicron’, they did not realise it would become a nightmare for a businessman in other part of the world. While the WHO is busy trying to fight the new variant and protect the humankind from a growing pandemic, a Siberian entrepreneur has sued the organisation for ruining the image of his business. Also read | New Variant LIVE: UK reports 75 more Omicron cases; confirmed cases rise to 134 The CEO of the Omicron Network of ophthalmology clinics has filed a case against the global organisation. Alexander Padar, the CEO, has alleged that the naming of the new Covid variant is bound to cause harm to his business. "Our name is a registered trademark, primarily in the field of medicine and healthcare, since this is our core service," he said. The businessman had invested a huge sum of money for marketing his clinics all around the world. However, now, due to the new Covid variant name and its rapid outbreak, when someone searches for his clinics, they only see news and information about the Covid variant. "Think about it, if someone dies from ‘Omicron’ – your relative or friend, you are unlikely to go to the clinic with the same name," he explained. WATCH | Increase in the spread of this variant and the growing number of cases around the world are bound to bring irreparable financial losses for him and his company, Padar fears. WHO has been naming the Covid variants after the letters of the Greek alphabet to make sure they are able to steer clear of geographical and political bias and stereotypes. Meanwhile, the Omicron variant has been spreading around the world at a fast rate, and several countries are now going back to their 2020 defense strategies such as limiting travel, routine RT-PCR tests, necessary lockdowns, social distancing and mask mandates. Researchers believe at least one mutation in Omicron variant of COVID-19 seems to have been acquired from the common cold virus

Omicron variant: Russian businessman sues WHO for stealing his company name

If the researchers are to be believed, at least one mutation in Omicron variant of COVID-19 seems to have been acquired from the common cold virus. &nbsp;

The genetic sequence in question doesn’t appear in earlier versions of the virus called SARS-CoV-2. It is, however, present in common cold virus and in human genome, said researchers. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/is-covid-variants-origin-linked-to-immunocompromised-people-434103" hreflang="en">Is Covid variants' origin linked to immunocompromised people?</a>

By adopting this snippet into itself, the new variant seems to be making it look itself "more human" to help it evade attack by human immune system, said Venky Soundararajan, who belongs to Cambridge, Massachusetts-based data analytics firm ‘nference’. Soundararajan led the study, which was posted on the website ‘OSF Preprints’ on Thursday. &nbsp;

It means the virus may transmit easily but may cause only mild or asymptomatic disease. &nbsp;&nbsp;

As per earlier studies, the cells in the lungs and gastrointestinal system can harbour coronavirus and common cold virus simultaneously. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-variant-spreads-in-australia-as-authorities-look-to-reopen-economy-434065" hreflang="en">Omicron variant spreads in Australia as authorities look to reopen economy</a>

This co-infection can lead to viral recombination, where two different viruses in the same host cell interact to make copies. The new copies have genetic material of both "parents." &nbsp;

In the study, which has not been peer-reviewed yet, Soundararajan and colleagues said that the new mutation may have first occurred in a person, who was infected with both pathogens. It helped the version of SARS-CoV-2 pick up the genetic sequence from the other virus. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

If the researchers are to be believed, at least one mutation in Omicron variant of COVID-19 seems to have been acquired from the common cold virus. The genetic sequence in question doesn’t appear in earlier versions of the virus called SARS-CoV-2.

If the researchers are to be believed, at least one mutation in Omicron variant of COVID-19 seems to have been acquired from the common cold virus. The genetic sequence in question doesn’t appear in earlier versions of the virus called SARS-CoV-2. It is, however, present in common cold virus and in human genome, said researchers. Also Read: Is Covid variants' origin linked to immunocompromised people? By adopting this snippet into itself, the new variant seems to be making it look itself "more human" to help it evade attack by human immune system, said Venky Soundararajan, who belongs to Cambridge, Massachusetts-based data analytics firm ‘nference’. Soundararajan led the study, which was posted on the website ‘OSF Preprints’ on Thursday. It means the virus may transmit easily but may cause only mild or asymptomatic disease. As per earlier studies, the cells in the lungs and gastrointestinal system can harbour coronavirus and common cold virus simultaneously. Also Read: Omicron variant spreads in Australia as authorities look to reopen economy This co-infection can lead to viral recombination, where two different viruses in the same host cell interact to make copies. The new copies have genetic material of both "parents." In the study, which has not been peer-reviewed yet, Soundararajan and colleagues said that the new mutation may have first occurred in a person, who was infected with both pathogens. It helped the version of SARS-CoV-2 pick up the genetic sequence from the other virus. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron may have acquired a mutation from common cold virus, say researchers

Amid growing concerns over the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, a parliamentary committee has recommended that the efficacy of Covid vaccines must be evaluated and the government conduct more research to examine the need for booster doses to contain the new strain 
 
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, which presented its report on Friday, also said that concerns with regard to the new strain developing immunoescape mechanism should be critically addressed.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/whos-chief-scientist-soumya-swaminathan-asks-people-not-to-panic-433996/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In view of loss of life during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee noted that the measures taken by the health ministry to contain or prevent the spread of SARS-COV-2 proved to be squarely inadequate and suggested that the focus should be on strengthening health infrastructure, ensuring adequate availability of beds, supply of oxygen cylinders and essential medicines. 
 
With the threat of a third wave looming around, the government should utilise the time in strengthening public health infrastructure.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-omicron-in-india-updates-two-cases-found-in-karnataka-433212" hreflang="en">LIVE: India reports third Omicron case from Gujarat</a> 
 
This is evident from the fact that unlike the first wave (which peaked in September 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic, which largely was restricted to urban areas where testing was introduced rapidly, the second wave (peaked in May) largely spread through rural towns and villages, it said in its report 
 
The committee, thus, observed that there is a dire need for improving the geographical spread of testing facilities in rural regions of the country. It also recommended establishing sync between PHCs/CHCs with the VRDLs in the states. 
 
In its report, the committee said it apprehends that a rise in mutations in the virus may lead to reporting of more virulent and transmissible strain of the Covid virus in the country and strongly recommended the Union health ministry to adopt a zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy and closely track Covid cases across the country.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/omicron-travel-chaos-countries-that-imposed-travel-curbs-over-new-covid-variant-432196">Omicron travel chaos: Countries that imposed travel curbs over new Covid variant</a> 
 
"The committee believes that timely detection and isolation of potentially infectious people is very crucial in reducing the impact of the pandemic. The importance of diagnostic testing therefore, cannot be overlooked," the panel said in its report 
 
Besides, the government must aggressively keep pushing the vaccination programme in terms of granting approval to more vaccines, ramping up vaccine production, enhancing delivery capacity and increasing the vaccination rate, the committee said in its recommendations 
 
"With the incidence of highly mutated Omicron (B.1.1.529) strain of Covid virus, the committee strongly believes that the efficacy of the vaccines must be evaluated. The concerns with regards to the new strain developing immunoescape mechanism need to be critically addressed," it recommended 
 
An efficient and widely deployed testing mechanism will go a long way in preventing the spread of the infection, the panel noted 
 
The committee said although the second wave came almost six months after the peak of the first wave, India's testing infrastructure remained "abysmal and highly insufficient" 
 
The report stated that to combat the current pandemic and other future emergencies, India must realise its full testing capacity and augment this capacity even further and that the government should ensure that the testing should far outpace the growth of the cases to arrest future waves of Covid early 
 
"The committee also noted that with the new strain of Covid, Omicron (B.1.1.529), exhibiting 30 plus mutations, tracking and testing facilities especially at airports must also be strengthened and rigorous testing and screening of travellers must be carried out," it said 
 
"The committee is also concerned about the efficacy of the present vaccines and the possibility of mutated strain like Omicron evading vaccine immunity. The committee, therefore recommends the government to conduct more research and examine the need of administering booster dose of vaccines for containing the newer strain of virus," the committee said in its recommendations 
 
The committee recommended Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia INSACOG to closely monitor the new strain of the virus and work towards upgrading the genome sequencing infrastructure in the country 
 
With WHO designating Omicorn as a "Variant of Concern", the government must take immediate measures to prevent the transmission of any newer strains in the country, the committee said in its recommendations 
 
Further noting that the North-East region was engulfed during the second wave of the pandemic, the committee said it is high time the ministry pulls up its socks and take concrete steps to improve the largely insufficient healthcare facilities in the North-East Region of the country. 
 
The committee also sought to be apprised of the 'plan of action' with respect to utilisation of Rs 64,179.55 crore allocated for strengthening public health infrastructure for pandemic preparedness.

&nbsp;

Amid growing concerns over the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, a parliamentary committee has recommended that the efficacy of Covid vaccines must be evaluated and the government conduct more research to examine the need for booster doses to contain the new strain The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, which presented its report on Friday, also said that concerns with regard to the new strain developing immunoescape mechanism should be critically addressed.

Amid growing concerns over the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, a parliamentary committee has recommended that the efficacy of Covid vaccines must be evaluated and the government conduct more research to examine the need for booster doses to contain the new strain The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, which presented its report on Friday, also said that concerns with regard to the new strain developing immunoescape mechanism should be critically addressed. In view of loss of life during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee noted that the measures taken by the health ministry to contain or prevent the spread of SARS-COV-2 proved to be squarely inadequate and suggested that the focus should be on strengthening health infrastructure, ensuring adequate availability of beds, supply of oxygen cylinders and essential medicines. With the threat of a third wave looming around, the government should utilise the time in strengthening public health infrastructure. Also read | LIVE: India reports third Omicron case from Gujarat This is evident from the fact that unlike the first wave (which peaked in September 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic, which largely was restricted to urban areas where testing was introduced rapidly, the second wave (peaked in May) largely spread through rural towns and villages, it said in its report The committee, thus, observed that there is a dire need for improving the geographical spread of testing facilities in rural regions of the country. It also recommended establishing sync between PHCs/CHCs with the VRDLs in the states. In its report, the committee said it apprehends that a rise in mutations in the virus may lead to reporting of more virulent and transmissible strain of the Covid virus in the country and strongly recommended the Union health ministry to adopt a zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy and closely track Covid cases across the country. Also see | Omicron travel chaos: Countries that imposed travel curbs over new Covid variant "The committee believes that timely detection and isolation of potentially infectious people is very crucial in reducing the impact of the pandemic. The importance of diagnostic testing therefore, cannot be overlooked," the panel said in its report Besides, the government must aggressively keep pushing the vaccination programme in terms of granting approval to more vaccines, ramping up vaccine production, enhancing delivery capacity and increasing the vaccination rate, the committee said in its recommendations "With the incidence of highly mutated Omicron (B.1.1.529) strain of Covid virus, the committee strongly believes that the efficacy of the vaccines must be evaluated. The concerns with regards to the new strain developing immunoescape mechanism need to be critically addressed," it recommended An efficient and widely deployed testing mechanism will go a long way in preventing the spread of the infection, the panel noted The committee said although the second wave came almost six months after the peak of the first wave, India's testing infrastructure remained "abysmal and highly insufficient" The report stated that to combat the current pandemic and other future emergencies, India must realise its full testing capacity and augment this capacity even further and that the government should ensure that the testing should far outpace the growth of the cases to arrest future waves of Covid early "The committee also noted that with the new strain of Covid, Omicron (B.1.1.529), exhibiting 30 plus mutations, tracking and testing facilities especially at airports must also be strengthened and rigorous testing and screening of travellers must be carried out," it said "The committee is also concerned about the efficacy of the present vaccines and the possibility of mutated strain like Omicron evading vaccine immunity. The committee, therefore recommends the government to conduct more research and examine the need of administering booster dose of vaccines for containing the newer strain of virus," the committee said in its recommendations The committee recommended Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia INSACOG to closely monitor the new strain of the virus and work towards upgrading the genome sequencing infrastructure in the country With WHO designating Omicorn as a "Variant of Concern", the government must take immediate measures to prevent the transmission of any newer strains in the country, the committee said in its recommendations Further noting that the North-East region was engulfed during the second wave of the pandemic, the committee said it is high time the ministry pulls up its socks and take concrete steps to improve the largely insufficient healthcare facilities in the North-East Region of the country. The committee also sought to be apprised of the 'plan of action' with respect to utilisation of Rs 64,179.55 crore allocated for strengthening public health infrastructure for pandemic preparedness.

Omicron: Parliamentary panel recommends evaluation of vaccines, more research for booster dose

Researchers in Nebraska had just finished sequencing six samples of the omicron variant, the most discovered anywhere in the United States. They just didn’t know it yet.

In a closet-size room with two chairs and no windows, the scientists had extracted the genetic information from 64 new coronavirus samples, as they do every day, to determine whether any of those patients might have the worrisome new variant. Hours later, Dr. Baha Abdalhamid opened an email and saw the results.

“This batch, I was waiting for it,” said Abdalhamid, assistant director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory. “Once I downloaded the results as an Excel sheet, I screened the 64 samples right away, and sure enough, six of them were omicron.”

Nebraska officials announced the six cases, the state’s first, on Friday.

Around the world, scientists are racing to understand how widespread omicron is and how severe a threat it may pose. That has placed labs such as Abdalhamid’s on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Underscoring growing concerns about omicron, scientists in South Africa said Friday that the variant appeared to spread more than twice as quickly as delta, until now the most contagious version of the virus. It is still unclear whether or to what degree omicron may evade protection from the current vaccines.

In the United States, a hunt for the variant began last week when South African researchers announced omicron’s array of worrisome mutations. The search has intensified in recent days, with at least 12 states identifying cases. Researchers are combing through wastewater samples for any sign of the variant. Contact tracers are ramping up efforts in places where cases have emerged.

And at sequencing labs such as the one in Nebraska, a state where case rates are already high and hospitals are already strained, scientists have sped up the screening of samples from international travelers to see if omicron has arrived.

Local health officials in rural southeastern Nebraska said that among the cases Abdalhamid found, one person had recently traveled to Nigeria and was believed to have passed the virus on to the five others in the same household after returning to Nebraska. None of the patients has had severe symptoms; only one had been vaccinated.

“The concern is what might start showing up if it starts coming in here,” Peter Iwen, director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory, said Thursday before the local cases had been found. “Are we going to see the same wave? Or where this one falls out and this other one starts to take off?”

As word spread on Thanksgiving about the discovery of omicron in Africa, scientists in the United States diverted from their holiday weekends and began searching for clues about whether the variant was here, too. They looked back through old virus samples to see if omicron had been spreading quietly. They took a closer look at recent positive tests. They began studying omicron’s mutations so they could detect it manually in the genetic code if their sequencing software did not.

Experts say knowing where and how extensively omicron is circulating is the best way to understand and respond to the level of threat it poses. Scientists have expressed concern about omicron’s mutations and the impact they could have on transmissibility, disease severity and the ability to dodge prior immunity.

So far, there is limited real-world data to confirm those concerns, but it is increasingly clear that omicron is already present in much of the United States. On Wednesday, scientists in California announced a case. Then on Thursday came an announcement in Minnesota about a person who tested positive after attending an anime convention in New York. Within hours, five cases had been found in New York, as well as one in Colorado and another in Hawaii.

On Friday, more cases emerged, including one each in Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Utah and three in Maryland. Many, but not all, of the cases had been linked to travel.

All that adds urgency to the work in the Omaha lab, situated behind locked doors in a research building at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Each day, researchers there extract RNA from 64 nasal swabs sent in from across the state and run that material through two machines that, after about 18 hours, produce a genetic sequence for each infection.

They focus on the highest-risk cases: those involving large outbreaks or children or international travelers. The results, which are uploaded into a global database, show them which variants are present in the state and whether individual cases are linked to one another. When a New York Times reporter and photographer visited the lab Thursday, the scientists had just finished sequencing the samples that included the six omicron cases but had not yet examined the results.

“If we have a cluster of people, like 10, 15, 20 people — one of them is detected with omicron. The others, do they have omicron or not? If they have omicron, how related are those omicron viruses to each other? Are they the same?” Abdalhamid said, explaining some of the questions he would try to answer when the variant turned up in his lab. “Are they one clone, one cluster? Or more than one cluster?”

That level of detail, largely unavailable before this pandemic, can then inform the response of public health officials.

“It’s amazing that we’re able to do that because it used to be really all you had to go on was asking questions,” said Dr. Lindsay Huse, health director in Douglas County, which includes Omaha. “It just helps us be a lot more targeted in the recommendations and the mitigation efforts that we’re putting in.”

At the beginning of this year, American researchers were publishing the sequences of a few thousand virus samples each week, leaving the United States far behind other countries in its ability to identify and respond to variants. Since then, sequencing capacity has ramped up considerably, to about 80,000 virus samples a week and 14% of all positive PCR tests.

For the past few months, almost every sample that researchers have examined has shown the highly transmissible delta variant, which drove up case totals in the South over the summer and is fueling ongoing surges in much of the Midwest and Northeast.

“It was kind of getting boring, quite honestly, because it was 100% delta,” said Richard Michelmore, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, who examines the lineage of coronavirus samples in his area.

In recent days, as word of omicron spread, Michelmore said his lab revived a program to acquire and examine samples from underserved populations. Although it is too early to know just how dangerous omicron is, Michelmore has little doubt that it will soon turn up in his lab.

“It’s a matter of when,” Michelmore said. “My prediction: We will have seen it probably by Christmas.”

The introduction of omicron comes at a precarious moment in the country’s virus fight. Although infection and hospitalization levels remain far lower nationally than they were a year ago, before vaccines were available, some states in the Upper Midwest and Northeast are overrun with the delta variant and are enduring their worst case surges of the pandemic.

Federal medical teams have been sent to bolster staffing at hospitals in Minnesota and Michigan. Case rates have soared to record levels in Vermont and New Hampshire. And in Nebraska, hospital officials have held news conferences this week to issue warnings about limited capacity and pleas to get vaccinated.

“It’s serious: Our hospitals, they’re out of resources at this point in terms of beds,” said Huse, the Douglas County health director.

It has been almost two years since the virus began to emerge in the United States — including in overseas travelers who quarantined on the same Omaha campus where the six omicron cases were detected this week. Unlike then, omicron has so far not brought a push to impose lockdowns or sweeping restrictions on everyday life. Instead, as Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts put it in a statement Friday after the state’s new cases were announced, there is a sense that “coronavirus will be with us forever.”

“Nebraska has maintained one of the lowest coronavirus death rates and protected our hospital capacity all without lockdowns, without mask mandates and without vaccine mandates,” Ricketts, a Republican, said in a statement.

He pledged that those policies would continue.

Researchers in Nebraska had just finished sequencing six samples of the omicron variant, the most discovered anywhere in the United States. They just didn’t know it yet.

Researchers in Nebraska had just finished sequencing six samples of the omicron variant, the most discovered anywhere in the United States. They just didn’t know it yet. In a closet-size room with two chairs and no windows, the scientists had extracted the genetic information from 64 new coronavirus samples, as they do every day, to determine whether any of those patients might have the worrisome new variant. Hours later, Dr. Baha Abdalhamid opened an email and saw the results. “This batch, I was waiting for it,” said Abdalhamid, assistant director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory. “Once I downloaded the results as an Excel sheet, I screened the 64 samples right away, and sure enough, six of them were omicron.” Nebraska officials announced the six cases, the state’s first, on Friday. Around the world, scientists are racing to understand how widespread omicron is and how severe a threat it may pose. That has placed labs such as Abdalhamid’s on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Underscoring growing concerns about omicron, scientists in South Africa said Friday that the variant appeared to spread more than twice as quickly as delta, until now the most contagious version of the virus. It is still unclear whether or to what degree omicron may evade protection from the current vaccines. In the United States, a hunt for the variant began last week when South African researchers announced omicron’s array of worrisome mutations. The search has intensified in recent days, with at least 12 states identifying cases. Researchers are combing through wastewater samples for any sign of the variant. Contact tracers are ramping up efforts in places where cases have emerged. And at sequencing labs such as the one in Nebraska, a state where case rates are already high and hospitals are already strained, scientists have sped up the screening of samples from international travelers to see if omicron has arrived. Local health officials in rural southeastern Nebraska said that among the cases Abdalhamid found, one person had recently traveled to Nigeria and was believed to have passed the virus on to the five others in the same household after returning to Nebraska. None of the patients has had severe symptoms; only one had been vaccinated. “The concern is what might start showing up if it starts coming in here,” Peter Iwen, director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory, said Thursday before the local cases had been found. “Are we going to see the same wave? Or where this one falls out and this other one starts to take off?” As word spread on Thanksgiving about the discovery of omicron in Africa, scientists in the United States diverted from their holiday weekends and began searching for clues about whether the variant was here, too. They looked back through old virus samples to see if omicron had been spreading quietly. They took a closer look at recent positive tests. They began studying omicron’s mutations so they could detect it manually in the genetic code if their sequencing software did not. Experts say knowing where and how extensively omicron is circulating is the best way to understand and respond to the level of threat it poses. Scientists have expressed concern about omicron’s mutations and the impact they could have on transmissibility, disease severity and the ability to dodge prior immunity. So far, there is limited real-world data to confirm those concerns, but it is increasingly clear that omicron is already present in much of the United States. On Wednesday, scientists in California announced a case. Then on Thursday came an announcement in Minnesota about a person who tested positive after attending an anime convention in New York. Within hours, five cases had been found in New York, as well as one in Colorado and another in Hawaii. On Friday, more cases emerged, including one each in Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Utah and three in Maryland. Many, but not all, of the cases had been linked to travel. All that adds urgency to the work in the Omaha lab, situated behind locked doors in a research building at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Each day, researchers there extract RNA from 64 nasal swabs sent in from across the state and run that material through two machines that, after about 18 hours, produce a genetic sequence for each infection. They focus on the highest-risk cases: those involving large outbreaks or children or international travelers. The results, which are uploaded into a global database, show them which variants are present in the state and whether individual cases are linked to one another. When a New York Times reporter and photographer visited the lab Thursday, the scientists had just finished sequencing the samples that included the six omicron cases but had not yet examined the results. “If we have a cluster of people, like 10, 15, 20 people — one of them is detected with omicron. The others, do they have omicron or not? If they have omicron, how related are those omicron viruses to each other? Are they the same?” Abdalhamid said, explaining some of the questions he would try to answer when the variant turned up in his lab. “Are they one clone, one cluster? Or more than one cluster?” That level of detail, largely unavailable before this pandemic, can then inform the response of public health officials. “It’s amazing that we’re able to do that because it used to be really all you had to go on was asking questions,” said Dr. Lindsay Huse, health director in Douglas County, which includes Omaha. “It just helps us be a lot more targeted in the recommendations and the mitigation efforts that we’re putting in.” At the beginning of this year, American researchers were publishing the sequences of a few thousand virus samples each week, leaving the United States far behind other countries in its ability to identify and respond to variants. Since then, sequencing capacity has ramped up considerably, to about 80,000 virus samples a week and 14% of all positive PCR tests. For the past few months, almost every sample that researchers have examined has shown the highly transmissible delta variant, which drove up case totals in the South over the summer and is fueling ongoing surges in much of the Midwest and Northeast. “It was kind of getting boring, quite honestly, because it was 100% delta,” said Richard Michelmore, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, who examines the lineage of coronavirus samples in his area. In recent days, as word of omicron spread, Michelmore said his lab revived a program to acquire and examine samples from underserved populations. Although it is too early to know just how dangerous omicron is, Michelmore has little doubt that it will soon turn up in his lab. “It’s a matter of when,” Michelmore said. “My prediction: We will have seen it probably by Christmas.” The introduction of omicron comes at a precarious moment in the country’s virus fight. Although infection and hospitalization levels remain far lower nationally than they were a year ago, before vaccines were available, some states in the Upper Midwest and Northeast are overrun with the delta variant and are enduring their worst case surges of the pandemic. Federal medical teams have been sent to bolster staffing at hospitals in Minnesota and Michigan. Case rates have soared to record levels in Vermont and New Hampshire. And in Nebraska, hospital officials have held news conferences this week to issue warnings about limited capacity and pleas to get vaccinated. “It’s serious: Our hospitals, they’re out of resources at this point in terms of beds,” said Huse, the Douglas County health director. It has been almost two years since the virus began to emerge in the United States — including in overseas travelers who quarantined on the same Omaha campus where the six omicron cases were detected this week. Unlike then, omicron has so far not brought a push to impose lockdowns or sweeping restrictions on everyday life. Instead, as Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts put it in a statement Friday after the state’s new cases were announced, there is a sense that “coronavirus will be with us forever.” “Nebraska has maintained one of the lowest coronavirus death rates and protected our hospital capacity all without lockdowns, without mask mandates and without vaccine mandates,” Ricketts, a Republican, said in a statement. He pledged that those policies would continue.

Inside a sequencing lab on the front lines of America’s search for Omicron

The new coronavirus variant, Omicron, is spreading in Australia. A cluster in Sydney has already grown to 13 cases. An infection was also suspected to have reached the state of Queensland. &nbsp;

The recent developments will test the plans of the authorities to reopen the economy. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-fears-of-new-variant-looms-europe-surpasses-75-million-covid-cases-433994" hreflang="en">As fears of new variant looms, Europe surpasses 75 million Covid cases</a>

On Friday, Australia reported its first community transmission of the new variant at a school in Sydney. As the authorities are probing the source, the number of cases is expected to rise. &nbsp;

On the hope that Omicron may be milder than previous strains, federal authorities seem to be sticking to the plan to reopen the economy. It comes as some state and territory governments are looking to tighten domestic border controls.&nbsp;

"The public health unit have ruled out that it is Delta but we haven't been able to confirm if it is Omicron. But it is being treated as if it is," state Health Minister Yvette D'Ath. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-variant-highly-transmissible-could-become-dominant-says-whos-top-scientist-433999" hreflang="en">Omicron highly transmissible, could become dominant, says WHO's top scientist</a>

Authorities in Queensland suspect its first case of Omicron to be a person, who travelled from South Africa. The genome sequencing is still being done. &nbsp;

On Saturday, authorities in South Australia said that arrivals from Victoria, New South Wales and the capital territory will be tested. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The new coronavirus variant, Omicron, is spreading in Australia. A cluster in Sydney has already grown to 13 cases. An infection was also suspected to have reached the state of Queensland.

The new coronavirus variant, Omicron, is spreading in Australia. A cluster in Sydney has already grown to 13 cases. An infection was also suspected to have reached the state of Queensland. The recent developments will test the plans of the authorities to reopen the economy. Also Read: As fears of new variant looms, Europe surpasses 75 million Covid cases On Friday, Australia reported its first community transmission of the new variant at a school in Sydney. As the authorities are probing the source, the number of cases is expected to rise. On the hope that Omicron may be milder than previous strains, federal authorities seem to be sticking to the plan to reopen the economy. It comes as some state and territory governments are looking to tighten domestic border controls. "The public health unit have ruled out that it is Delta but we haven't been able to confirm if it is Omicron. But it is being treated as if it is," state Health Minister Yvette D'Ath. Also Read: Omicron highly transmissible, could become dominant, says WHO's top scientist Authorities in Queensland suspect its first case of Omicron to be a person, who travelled from South Africa. The genome sequencing is still being done. On Saturday, authorities in South Australia said that arrivals from Victoria, New South Wales and the capital territory will be tested. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron variant spreads in Australia as authorities look to reopen economy

Life in India was coming back to normal after experiencing a deadly second wave earlier this year. Just when everyone thought things are going to be just how they were before the Delta variant hit the nation, another variant of Covid, namely Omicron, emerged in South Africa. It rapidly spread to various parts of the world, including India.

On Thursday, the Central government reported two cases of the Omicron variant in the Southern state of Karnataka.

As fears of the new variant have engulfed the nation, there is one question that needs to be answered- Is India prepared to tackle the spread of the growing Omicron variant?

One of the most concerning things about this new variant is its transmissibility rate. While experts have been warning of its low virulence, there is a fear that it may cause more infections than any previous variant.&nbsp;

Earlier, on Friday, the World Health Organization's chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan said that the Omicron variant could become dominant because it is highly transmissible.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-variant-highly-transmissible-could-become-dominant-says-whos-top-scientist-433999">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron variant highly transmissible, could become dominant, says WHO's top scientist</a>

"It is possible that it could become dominant variant," Swaminathan said. She further added that it is too early to predict if the Omicron variant is milder than other variants of the deadly coronavirus. "How worried should we be? We need to be prepared and cautious, not panic, because we're in a different situation to a year ago," Swaminathan said.&nbsp;

As per the scientists, the symptoms, as of now, are mild. Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry said, "All Omicron related cases are found to have mild symptoms so far...In all such cases in the country and across the world so far, no severe symptom has been noted. WHO has said that its emerging evidence is being studied."

Will the vaccines work against new variant? 
India, in October, achieved a new milestone of administering a billion vaccine doses. However, with the emergence of this new variant, there has come a big question mark on the vaccination status.

While ICMR DG Dr Balram Bhargava has said that at this stage it is very premature to comment on the efficacy of the vaccines, WHO Chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan has said that a new vaccine may not be needed.&nbsp;

Swaminathan in her interview with Reuters said that as of now, there is conclusive evidence about Omicron's impact on the effectiveness of antibodies.&nbsp;"It does seem to be able to overcome some of the natural immunity from previous infection."

"The fact that they're not getting sick ... that means the vaccines are still providing protection and we would hope that they would continue to provide protection," she said.

The head of India’s Covid task, Dr V K Paul has said that the vaccine manufacturers are also examining the issue of vaccine efficacy.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/omicron-in-india-dont-need-fear-says-health-ministry-as-first-2-cases-found-one-patient-fully-vaccinated-433526">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated</a>

Elaborating on the importance of getting vaccinated, he said that vaccination remains “the most critical tool”. 
He said that Indians are fortunate enough to have the tool in abundance.

Are there any chances of a third wave?&nbsp;

As of now, the severity of the variant is not clear. But keeping in mind the pace at which it is spreading, it is likely to move to more states in India. The scientific evidence, pertaining to the new variant, is still evolving.

(With inputs from agencies)

Life in India was coming back to normal after experiencing a deadly second wave earlier this year. Just when everyone thought things are going to be just how they were before the Delta variant hit the nation, another variant of Covid, namely Omicron, emerged in South Africa.

Life in India was coming back to normal after experiencing a deadly second wave earlier this year. Just when everyone thought things are going to be just how they were before the Delta variant hit the nation, another variant of Covid, namely Omicron, emerged in South Africa. It rapidly spread to various parts of the world, including India. On Thursday, the Central government reported two cases of the Omicron variant in the Southern state of Karnataka. As fears of the new variant have engulfed the nation, there is one question that needs to be answered- Is India prepared to tackle the spread of the growing Omicron variant? One of the most concerning things about this new variant is its transmissibility rate. While experts have been warning of its low virulence, there is a fear that it may cause more infections than any previous variant. Earlier, on Friday, the World Health Organization's chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan said that the Omicron variant could become dominant because it is highly transmissible. Also read | Omicron variant highly transmissible, could become dominant, says WHO's top scientist "It is possible that it could become dominant variant," Swaminathan said. She further added that it is too early to predict if the Omicron variant is milder than other variants of the deadly coronavirus. "How worried should we be? We need to be prepared and cautious, not panic, because we're in a different situation to a year ago," Swaminathan said. As per the scientists, the symptoms, as of now, are mild. Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry said, "All Omicron related cases are found to have mild symptoms so far...In all such cases in the country and across the world so far, no severe symptom has been noted. WHO has said that its emerging evidence is being studied." Will the vaccines work against new variant? India, in October, achieved a new milestone of administering a billion vaccine doses. However, with the emergence of this new variant, there has come a big question mark on the vaccination status. While ICMR DG Dr Balram Bhargava has said that at this stage it is very premature to comment on the efficacy of the vaccines, WHO Chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan has said that a new vaccine may not be needed. Swaminathan in her interview with Reuters said that as of now, there is conclusive evidence about Omicron's impact on the effectiveness of antibodies. "It does seem to be able to overcome some of the natural immunity from previous infection." "The fact that they're not getting sick ... that means the vaccines are still providing protection and we would hope that they would continue to provide protection," she said. The head of India’s Covid task, Dr V K Paul has said that the vaccine manufacturers are also examining the issue of vaccine efficacy. Also read | Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated Elaborating on the importance of getting vaccinated, he said that vaccination remains “the most critical tool”. He said that Indians are fortunate enough to have the tool in abundance. Are there any chances of a third wave? As of now, the severity of the variant is not clear. But keeping in mind the pace at which it is spreading, it is likely to move to more states in India. The scientific evidence, pertaining to the new variant, is still evolving. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron: How well-prepared is India to tackle a possible spread of new Covid variant?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that India's upcoming tour of South Africa this month is on despite the threat due to the new coronavirus variant - Omicron in the country. However, Shah said Team India will travel to South Africa only for three Tests and three ODIs while the four-match T20I series will be played at a later date.

There has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding India's upcoming tour of South Africa as COVID-19 cases have surged in the country after the emergence of the Omicron variant which has been labelled as a 'variant of concern' by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The cases have gone up significantly in the Gauteng province where India and South Africa are scheduled to play the first two Tests of the three-match series.

However, after assurance from Cricket South Africa over the strict bio-bubble arrangements for the visitors, BCCI has decided to give a go-ahead to the Indian team for the tour. "BCCI has confirmed CSA that the Indian team will travel for three Tests and three ODIs. The remaining four T20Is will be played at a later date," Shah told ANI.

Omicron recently led to the suspension of all major sporting events in South Africa with the Netherlands cricket team also cutting short their tour of the country. A few golf and Rugby games also had to be postponed or called off in the wake of the rise in COVID-19 cases across the country.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-r-ashwin-signals-for-drs-after-getting-bowled-gets-trolled-by-former-australian-cricketer-434047">WATCH: R Ashwin signals for DRS after getting bowled, gets trolled by former Australian cricketer</a>

The India A cricket team, however, has stayed back in South Africa for their three unofficial Test matches against the South Africa A side. While two games have concluded the third match is all set to get underway from Monday (December 06).

As per their original schedule, India had to leave for South Africa next week after the conclusion of the ongoing home Test series against New Zealand. The first Test between India and South Africa is set to get underway from December 17 as per the schedule. However, it remains to be seen if BCCI will stick with the old schedule or a new schedule will be followed.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that India's upcoming tour of South Africa this month is on despite the threat due to the new coronavirus variant - Omicron in the country.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that India's upcoming tour of South Africa this month is on despite the threat due to the new coronavirus variant - Omicron in the country. However, Shah said Team India will travel to South Africa only for three Tests and three ODIs while the four-match T20I series will be played at a later date. There has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding India's upcoming tour of South Africa as COVID-19 cases have surged in the country after the emergence of the Omicron variant which has been labelled as a 'variant of concern' by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The cases have gone up significantly in the Gauteng province where India and South Africa are scheduled to play the first two Tests of the three-match series. However, after assurance from Cricket South Africa over the strict bio-bubble arrangements for the visitors, BCCI has decided to give a go-ahead to the Indian team for the tour. "BCCI has confirmed CSA that the Indian team will travel for three Tests and three ODIs. The remaining four T20Is will be played at a later date," Shah told ANI. Omicron recently led to the suspension of all major sporting events in South Africa with the Netherlands cricket team also cutting short their tour of the country. A few golf and Rugby games also had to be postponed or called off in the wake of the rise in COVID-19 cases across the country. Also Read: WATCH: R Ashwin signals for DRS after getting bowled, gets trolled by former Australian cricketer The India A cricket team, however, has stayed back in South Africa for their three unofficial Test matches against the South Africa A side. While two games have concluded the third match is all set to get underway from Monday (December 06). As per their original schedule, India had to leave for South Africa next week after the conclusion of the ongoing home Test series against New Zealand. The first Test between India and South Africa is set to get underway from December 17 as per the schedule. However, it remains to be seen if BCCI will stick with the old schedule or a new schedule will be followed.

India to tour South Africa for three Tests, three ODIs; T20Is to be played later: BCCI secretary Jay Shah

In the wake of growing concerns over the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus and some reluctance to comply with company-mandated vaccinations, Alphabet Inc's Google said on Thursday it will delay its January return-to-work plan indefinitely.

Google had announced in August that it would expect its workers to come into the office approximately three days a week as of Jan. 10 at the earliest, ending its voluntary work-from-home policy.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/with-omicron-reinfection-is-three-times-more-likely-south-african-health-body-433684" hreflang="en">With Omicron, reinfection is three times more likely: South African health body</a>

On Thursday, Google executives told employees that the company would put off the deadline beyond that date.

Company officials said the update was consistent with its earlier guidance that a return to work would not take place earlier than January&nbsp;10 and will be determined by local conditions.

According to Google, nearly 40 per cent of US&nbsp;employees came into an office in recent weeks, while other regions had higher percentages.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-scare-new-york-records-5-cases-bringing-number-of-new-variant-cases-in-us-to-eight-433665" hreflang="en">Omicron scare: New York records 5 cases, bringing number of new variant cases in US to eight</a>

However, CNBC reported last week that hundreds of employees protested the vaccination mandate for employees working on US&nbsp;government contracts.

In the midst of the pandemic, Google employees were one of the first to work from home. The company has 85 offices in over 60 countries.

Watch |&nbsp;Omicron Scare: Biden administration announces winter campaign against COVID-19

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/omicron-scare-biden-administration-announces-winter-campaign-against-covid-19-433682/embed" width="560"></iframe>

As of Thursday, 79 cases of the Omicron variant have been reported in Europe, the EU's public health agency said. Recently, New York (USA), Karnataka (India), have also reported cases of the variant.&nbsp;

A few countries, like Germany, have also started imposing restrictions to prevent the spread of this newly identified variant. The disease was first discovered in southern Africa last month.

(With inputs from agencies)

In the wake of growing concerns over the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus and some reluctance to comply with company-mandated vaccinations, Alphabet Inc's Google said on Thursday it will delay its January return-to-work plan indefinitely.

In the wake of growing concerns over the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus and some reluctance to comply with company-mandated vaccinations, Alphabet Inc's Google said on Thursday it will delay its January return-to-work plan indefinitely. Google had announced in August that it would expect its workers to come into the office approximately three days a week as of Jan. 10 at the earliest, ending its voluntary work-from-home policy. Also read | With Omicron, reinfection is three times more likely: South African health body On Thursday, Google executives told employees that the company would put off the deadline beyond that date. Company officials said the update was consistent with its earlier guidance that a return to work would not take place earlier than January 10 and will be determined by local conditions. According to Google, nearly 40 per cent of US employees came into an office in recent weeks, while other regions had higher percentages. Also read | Omicron scare: New York records 5 cases, bringing number of new variant cases in US to eight However, CNBC reported last week that hundreds of employees protested the vaccination mandate for employees working on US government contracts. In the midst of the pandemic, Google employees were one of the first to work from home. The company has 85 offices in over 60 countries. Watch | Omicron Scare: Biden administration announces winter campaign against COVID-19 As of Thursday, 79 cases of the Omicron variant have been reported in Europe, the EU's public health agency said. Recently, New York (USA), Karnataka (India), have also reported cases of the variant. A few countries, like Germany, have also started imposing restrictions to prevent the spread of this newly identified variant. The disease was first discovered in southern Africa last month. (With inputs from agencies)

Amid Omicron scare, Google delays mandatory return to office beyond Jan 10

In a bid to improve the vaccination rate, the chief minister (CM) of India’s south Kerala state announced that those who are not following COVID-19 prevention measures, like vaccination, will not be provided free treatment.

CM Pinarayi Vijayan also said that teachers and staff of educational institutions who have not taken both doses of the vaccine due to any illness or allergies, must produce a government doctor's certificate or they should get vaccinated before taking classes.

If they do not get vaccinated, they will have to get a negative RT-PCR test every week at their own cost, he said and added that these directions were being issued to ensure safety of the students going back to school and colleges.

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No more free treatment for those who do not cooperate with Covid prevention measures. Non vaccinated teachers and employees who work from offices or interact with public, will have to submit weekly results of RTPCR tests, paid for by themselves, to ensure safety of all.
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These directions would also apply to employees working in offices and public places, he said in the meeting according to the release.

The CM, in a Covid review meeting, said the government will not pay for the treatment of those who become COVID positive without receiving the vaccine, according to a release issued by the state government. Those who are unable to get vaccinated due to diseases, allergies, etc. should produce a government doctor's certificate, he said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/omicron-in-india-dont-need-fear-says-health-ministry-as-first-2-cases-found-one-patient-fully-vaccinated-433526">Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated</a>

He further said that the health department has been directed to organise a special vaccination drive from December 1 to 15 in the state and District Collectors have been asked to make preparations for the same.

In view of the new variant of coronavirus, he has directed strengthening of the vigilance, including strict checking of travel history of those arriving from abroad, in the state and ensuring adherence to the COVID protocols without any lapse, the release said.

Kerala on Wednesday recorded 5,405 fresh COVID-19 cases and 403 deaths, raising the caseload to 51,35,390 and the toll to 40,535 respectively.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a bid to improve the vaccination rate, the chief minister (CM) of India’s south Kerala state announced that those who are not following COVID-19 prevention measures, like vaccination, will not be provided free treatment.

In a bid to improve the vaccination rate, the chief minister (CM) of India’s south Kerala state announced that those who are not following COVID-19 prevention measures, like vaccination, will not be provided free treatment. CM Pinarayi Vijayan also said that teachers and staff of educational institutions who have not taken both doses of the vaccine due to any illness or allergies, must produce a government doctor's certificate or they should get vaccinated before taking classes. If they do not get vaccinated, they will have to get a negative RT-PCR test every week at their own cost, he said and added that these directions were being issued to ensure safety of the students going back to school and colleges. No more free treatment for those who do not cooperate with Covid prevention measures. Non vaccinated teachers and employees who work from offices or interact with public, will have to submit weekly results of RTPCR tests, paid for by themselves, to ensure safety of all. — Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) November 30, 2021 × These directions would also apply to employees working in offices and public places, he said in the meeting according to the release. The CM, in a Covid review meeting, said the government will not pay for the treatment of those who become COVID positive without receiving the vaccine, according to a release issued by the state government. Those who are unable to get vaccinated due to diseases, allergies, etc. should produce a government doctor's certificate, he said. Also read | Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated He further said that the health department has been directed to organise a special vaccination drive from December 1 to 15 in the state and District Collectors have been asked to make preparations for the same. In view of the new variant of coronavirus, he has directed strengthening of the vigilance, including strict checking of travel history of those arriving from abroad, in the state and ensuring adherence to the COVID protocols without any lapse, the release said. Kerala on Wednesday recorded 5,405 fresh COVID-19 cases and 403 deaths, raising the caseload to 51,35,390 and the toll to 40,535 respectively. (With inputs from agencies)

No free Covid treatment if not vaccinated in this southern Indian state

As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads rapidly around the world, there has been intense debate on the need to take a third dose or a booster shot for extra protection against the deadly virus.

Even as some countries deliberate and study the necessity of a booster dose, Israel's healthcare expert Prof Jonathan Halevy told WION on Thursday asserted that an additional Covid jab was imperative for strong protection.

“People who are double vaccinated, after a gap of 6 months following the second dose are considered to be unvaccinated. So, it only calls for the necessity to take a booster shot. Actually, the level of immunity goes down below protection level on the average in six months after the second vaccination, though it differs from person to person,” Halevy said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/omicron-no-kissing-under-mistletoe-this-christmas-advises-british-politician-433630">Omicron: No kissing under mistletoe this Christmas, advises British politician</a>

When asked whether there has been any progress in treating Covid illness, Halevy said, “As far as medications go, I believe that we are now in a much better shape compared to the year-and-a-half ago when the virus started. We now have an arsenal of medications and among them are Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations. If God forbid we have a fifth wave, we can treat the patients much earlier and efficaciously.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/omicron-in-india-dont-need-fear-says-health-ministry-as-first-2-cases-found-one-patient-fully-vaccinated-433526">Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated</a>

The health expert also stressed that the children need to be vaccinated as quickly as possible, but lamented the slow pace of the vaccination rate in Israel.

“It is well proven that the vaccine is safe for children and unfortunately in Israel, the pace of vaccination among children 5-11 years old is too slow. We are trying to plead to parents not to hesitate and do it at a quicker pace. I am more apprehended by the slow pace of vaccination among kids,” said Halevy.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-omicron-was-first-found-in-san-francisco-433638">Why Omicron was first found in San Francisco</a>

When asked whether it was possible to implement a national mandate making vaccines compulsory in Israel, as suggested by the country’s coronavirus czar Salman Zarka, Halevy pointed out that such orders won’t be passed in Israel.

“I don’t believe it will happen in Israel, as it is a very vivid democracy with a very meticulous approach to human rights. So, I think that coming out with a law to mandate vaccination for everyone will not happen in Israel. But I think sanctions or penalties should be given,” he said.

Out of a population of 9.4 million, 5.7 million Israelis have received two vaccine doses, and 4 million have had a third booster shot, according to Israel's health ministry data.

Israel rolled out vaccinations for children aged five to 11 last week, one of only a handful of countries to inoculate minors that young.

As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads rapidly around the world, there has been intense debate on the need to take a third dose or a booster shot for extra protection against the deadly virus.

As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads rapidly around the world, there has been intense debate on the need to take a third dose or a booster shot for extra protection against the deadly virus. Even as some countries deliberate and study the necessity of a booster dose, Israel's healthcare expert Prof Jonathan Halevy told WION on Thursday asserted that an additional Covid jab was imperative for strong protection. “People who are double vaccinated, after a gap of 6 months following the second dose are considered to be unvaccinated. So, it only calls for the necessity to take a booster shot. Actually, the level of immunity goes down below protection level on the average in six months after the second vaccination, though it differs from person to person,” Halevy said. Also read | Omicron: No kissing under mistletoe this Christmas, advises British politician When asked whether there has been any progress in treating Covid illness, Halevy said, “As far as medications go, I believe that we are now in a much better shape compared to the year-and-a-half ago when the virus started. We now have an arsenal of medications and among them are Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations. If God forbid we have a fifth wave, we can treat the patients much earlier and efficaciously.” Also read | Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated The health expert also stressed that the children need to be vaccinated as quickly as possible, but lamented the slow pace of the vaccination rate in Israel. “It is well proven that the vaccine is safe for children and unfortunately in Israel, the pace of vaccination among children 5-11 years old is too slow. We are trying to plead to parents not to hesitate and do it at a quicker pace. I am more apprehended by the slow pace of vaccination among kids,” said Halevy. Also read | Why Omicron was first found in San Francisco When asked whether it was possible to implement a national mandate making vaccines compulsory in Israel, as suggested by the country’s coronavirus czar Salman Zarka, Halevy pointed out that such orders won’t be passed in Israel. “I don’t believe it will happen in Israel, as it is a very vivid democracy with a very meticulous approach to human rights. So, I think that coming out with a law to mandate vaccination for everyone will not happen in Israel. But I think sanctions or penalties should be given,” he said. Out of a population of 9.4 million, 5.7 million Israelis have received two vaccine doses, and 4 million have had a third booster shot, according to Israel's health ministry data. Israel rolled out vaccinations for children aged five to 11 last week, one of only a handful of countries to inoculate minors that young.

Two-dose vaccines insufficient, booster dose must for protection against Covid: Israel’s health expert

India’s Karnataka state government on Friday ordered a probe to find out how the 66-year-old South African national, who was infected with Omicron variant, managed to leave the country even as his genome&nbsp;sequencing reports were awaited.

Questions are being raised after the foreigner managed to get a negative report within three days of testing positive for Covid on arrival and also about him reportedly attending some official meeting and leaving the country.

“The person (66-year-old) had isolated at a hotel and he has gone from there (outside the country). First his (Covid test) report came positive and then re-test came negative. Whether there was any mishandling, whether the lab tests were accurate or was there any wrongdoing, the police commissioner has been directed to investigate this," state revenue minister R Ashoka said.

Speaking to reporters after a high-level meeting chaired by chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, Ashoka said a complaint has been filed and a police team is investigating the case.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/a-day-after-two-omicron-cases-reported-from-indias-karnataka-10-south-african-nationals-go-missing-433899">A day after two Omicron cases reported from India’s Karnataka, 10 South African nationals go missing</a>

"Two reports—one positive and one negative—is doubtful. So, the lab must be investigated. We have asked the police commissioner to investigate immediately in coordination with the health department," he added.

Officials on Thursday said that the South African national had come to Bengaluru on November 20 and his samples were collected at the airport and subsequently he tested positive.

Also read&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/omicron-in-india-dont-need-fear-says-health-ministry-as-first-2-cases-found-one-patient-fully-vaccinated-433526">Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated</a>

His samples were then sent for genome sequencing, the reports of which came on Thursday, confirming he was infected by Omicron.

Further noting that the person was isolated in a hotel, and subsequently underwent a test separately (self-investigation) at another laboratory (private lab on Nov 23), during which his reports came out negative, they had said he then left for Dubai on November 27 and all his 24 primary contacts and 240 secondary contacts had tested negative.

(With inputs from agencies)

India’s Karnataka state government on Friday ordered a probe to find out how the 66-year-old South African national, who was infected with Omicron variant, managed to leave the country even as his genome sequencing reports were awaited.

India’s Karnataka state government on Friday ordered a probe to find out how the 66-year-old South African national, who was infected with Omicron variant, managed to leave the country even as his genome sequencing reports were awaited. Questions are being raised after the foreigner managed to get a negative report within three days of testing positive for Covid on arrival and also about him reportedly attending some official meeting and leaving the country. “The person (66-year-old) had isolated at a hotel and he has gone from there (outside the country). First his (Covid test) report came positive and then re-test came negative. Whether there was any mishandling, whether the lab tests were accurate or was there any wrongdoing, the police commissioner has been directed to investigate this," state revenue minister R Ashoka said. Speaking to reporters after a high-level meeting chaired by chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, Ashoka said a complaint has been filed and a police team is investigating the case. Also read | A day after two Omicron cases reported from India’s Karnataka, 10 South African nationals go missing "Two reports—one positive and one negative—is doubtful. So, the lab must be investigated. We have asked the police commissioner to investigate immediately in coordination with the health department," he added. Officials on Thursday said that the South African national had come to Bengaluru on November 20 and his samples were collected at the airport and subsequently he tested positive. Also read | Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated His samples were then sent for genome sequencing, the reports of which came on Thursday, confirming he was infected by Omicron. Further noting that the person was isolated in a hotel, and subsequently underwent a test separately (self-investigation) at another laboratory (private lab on Nov 23), during which his reports came out negative, they had said he then left for Dubai on November 27 and all his 24 primary contacts and 240 secondary contacts had tested negative. (With inputs from agencies)

Karnataka govt orders probe into test reports of Omicron-infected foreigner that allowed him to leave India

The new Omicron variant of the coronavirus carries a threefold higher risk of reinfection than the currently dominant Delta or Beta variant, a South Africa group of health organisations said on Thursday.

According to the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA) and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), based on the data collected by the health system, the results provide the first epidemiological evidence about the ability of Omicron to evade immunity following prior infection.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-scare-new-york-records-5-cases-bringing-number-of-new-variant-cases-in-us-to-eight-433665" hreflang="en">Omicron scare: New York records 5 cases, bringing number of new variant cases in US to eight</a>

They released the statement after a group of South African health organisations published a paper on medrxiv.org as a pre-print, which means it had not yet been peer-reviewed.

Microbiologist Anne von Gottberg of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases echoed this, during an online news conference hosted by the World Health Organization earlier that day, she said South Africa was seeing a rise in COVID-19 reinfections caused by Omicron.

Daily reports of Coronavirus infections have suddenly risen in South Africa, with the government reporting 11,535 new infections on Thursday, up from 312 ten days ago.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/regardless-of-variant-complete-vaccination-key-to-protect-against-death-covid-disease-who-433636">Regardless of variant, complete vaccination key to protect against death, Covid disease: WHO</a>

NICD, one of a wider network of health organisations that do genome sequencing on samples, said on Wednesday that the Omicron variant is getting around immunity and fast becoming the dominant variant in the country.

The NICD said in a statement on Thursday that the "reinfection risk profile of Omicron is substantially higher than that associated with the Beta and Delta variants during the second and third waves."&nbsp;

The study used routine surveillance data from March 2020 to November 27. It is based on a sample of 2,796,982 individuals with positive results at least 90 days prior to November 27, of which 35,670 were suspected reinfections.

Watch |&nbsp;Omicron Scare: Biden administration announces winter campaign against COVID-19

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/omicron-scare-biden-administration-announces-winter-campaign-against-covid-19-433682/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

If the newly emerged variant is causing more reinfections than new infections, it indicates it has developed the ability to evade natural immunity from previous infections.

According to Juliet Pulliam, director of SACEMA and author of the pre-print paper, Omicron's pattern will likely be established by early to mid-December in all provinces of South Africa.

"Recent reinfections have occurred in individuals whose primary infections occurred across all three waves, with the most having their primary infection in the Delta wave," she tweeted.

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Recent reinfections have occurred in individuals whose primary infections occurred across all three waves, with the most having their primary infection in the Delta wave. <a href="https://t.co/wghncCKDtJ">pic.twitter.com/wghncCKDtJ</a>
— Juliet Pulliam, PhD (@SACEMAdirector) <a href="https://twitter.com/SACEMAdirector/status/1466459347580555266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Pulliam cautioned, however, that since the authors did not have information about the individuals' vaccination status, they were unable to assess whether Omicron evades vaccination-induced immunity, or to what extent. Further research will be undertaken into this question.

(With inputs from agencies)

The new Omicron variant of the coronavirus carries a threefold higher risk of reinfection than the currently dominant Delta or Beta variant, a South Africa group of health organisations said on Thursday.

The new Omicron variant of the coronavirus carries a threefold higher risk of reinfection than the currently dominant Delta or Beta variant, a South Africa group of health organisations said on Thursday. According to the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA) and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), based on the data collected by the health system, the results provide the first epidemiological evidence about the ability of Omicron to evade immunity following prior infection. Also read | Omicron scare: New York records 5 cases, bringing number of new variant cases in US to eight They released the statement after a group of South African health organisations published a paper on medrxiv.org as a pre-print, which means it had not yet been peer-reviewed. Microbiologist Anne von Gottberg of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases echoed this, during an online news conference hosted by the World Health Organization earlier that day, she said South Africa was seeing a rise in COVID-19 reinfections caused by Omicron. Daily reports of Coronavirus infections have suddenly risen in South Africa, with the government reporting 11,535 new infections on Thursday, up from 312 ten days ago. Also read | Regardless of variant, complete vaccination key to protect against death, Covid disease: WHO NICD, one of a wider network of health organisations that do genome sequencing on samples, said on Wednesday that the Omicron variant is getting around immunity and fast becoming the dominant variant in the country. The NICD said in a statement on Thursday that the "reinfection risk profile of Omicron is substantially higher than that associated with the Beta and Delta variants during the second and third waves." The study used routine surveillance data from March 2020 to November 27. It is based on a sample of 2,796,982 individuals with positive results at least 90 days prior to November 27, of which 35,670 were suspected reinfections. Watch | Omicron Scare: Biden administration announces winter campaign against COVID-19 If the newly emerged variant is causing more reinfections than new infections, it indicates it has developed the ability to evade natural immunity from previous infections. According to Juliet Pulliam, director of SACEMA and author of the pre-print paper, Omicron's pattern will likely be established by early to mid-December in all provinces of South Africa. "Recent reinfections have occurred in individuals whose primary infections occurred across all three waves, with the most having their primary infection in the Delta wave," she tweeted. Recent reinfections have occurred in individuals whose primary infections occurred across all three waves, with the most having their primary infection in the Delta wave. pic.twitter.com/wghncCKDtJ — Juliet Pulliam, PhD (@SACEMAdirector) December 2, 2021 × Pulliam cautioned, however, that since the authors did not have information about the individuals' vaccination status, they were unable to assess whether Omicron evades vaccination-induced immunity, or to what extent. Further research will be undertaken into this question. (With inputs from agencies)

With Omicron, reinfection is three times more likely: South African health body

Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Thursday confirmed that all three, Round 4, Division Two CSA 4-Day Domestic Series matches scheduled to take place between December 2-5 have been postponed.

The competition is not being held in a Bio-Secure Environment (BSE) and in the last couple of days, some positive COVID-19 test results have emerged following team pre-arrival testing sessions.

"Activating the precautionary and preventative measures stipulated in the organisation's COVID-19 protocols to ensure the health, safety and well-being of all involved is a top priority for CSA," the board said in an official statement.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/sports-schedules-go-haywire-due-to-omicron-covid-variant-whats-cancelled-whats-postponed-432560#icc-womens-world-cup-qualifier-called-off-432555">Sports schedules go haywire due to Omicron Covid variant: What's cancelled, what's postponed</a>

CSA is monitoring the situation closely and a decision regarding the remainder of the fixtures this year will be made in due course as it develops.

In addition, the CSA B-section 3-Day and 1-Day matches featuring Northerns and Easterns set for the same weekend have also been postponed until 2022.

This development comes as South Africa is set to host India in a multi-format series, comprising three Tests, three ODIs and four T20Is. The tour is set to begin on December 17.

India's tour of South Africa might be pushed back by one week due to the threat of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-nz-2nd-test-live-streaming-when-and-where-to-watch-india-vs-new-zealand-match-live-online-433587">IND vs NZ, 2nd Test live streaming: When and where to watch India vs New Zealand match live online?</a>

A BCCI official on Thursday confirmed to ANI that both boards are in constant touch and the decision will be taken keeping the safety of players in mind.

"We are discussing to push back the series by a week due to the threat of Omicron COVID variant and we are awaiting the Indian government nod, both boards are in constant touch and everything is being discussed. The health and safety of our players is of utmost importance," the senior official had told ANI.&nbsp;

Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Thursday confirmed that all three, Round 4, Division Two CSA 4-Day Domestic Series matches scheduled to take place between December 2-5 have been postponed.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Thursday confirmed that all three, Round 4, Division Two CSA 4-Day Domestic Series matches scheduled to take place between December 2-5 have been postponed. The competition is not being held in a Bio-Secure Environment (BSE) and in the last couple of days, some positive COVID-19 test results have emerged following team pre-arrival testing sessions. "Activating the precautionary and preventative measures stipulated in the organisation's COVID-19 protocols to ensure the health, safety and well-being of all involved is a top priority for CSA," the board said in an official statement. ALSO READ: Sports schedules go haywire due to Omicron Covid variant: What's cancelled, what's postponed CSA is monitoring the situation closely and a decision regarding the remainder of the fixtures this year will be made in due course as it develops. In addition, the CSA B-section 3-Day and 1-Day matches featuring Northerns and Easterns set for the same weekend have also been postponed until 2022. This development comes as South Africa is set to host India in a multi-format series, comprising three Tests, three ODIs and four T20Is. The tour is set to begin on December 17. India's tour of South Africa might be pushed back by one week due to the threat of the COVID-19 Omicron variant. ALSO READ: IND vs NZ, 2nd Test live streaming: When and where to watch India vs New Zealand match live online? A BCCI official on Thursday confirmed to ANI that both boards are in constant touch and the decision will be taken keeping the safety of players in mind. "We are discussing to push back the series by a week due to the threat of Omicron COVID variant and we are awaiting the Indian government nod, both boards are in constant touch and everything is being discussed. The health and safety of our players is of utmost importance," the senior official had told ANI.

Omicron threat: Ahead of India series, Cricket South Africa postpones domestic games

Five new cases of the coronavirus variant Omicron have been detected in New York state, according to Governor Kathy Hochul. This brings the number of detections in the United States to eight.

With the discovery of these cases, NY&nbsp;has now become the fourth US state with Omicron cases.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/regardless-of-variant-complete-vaccination-key-to-protect-against-death-covid-disease-who-433636">Regardless of variant, complete vaccination key to protect against death, Covid disease: WHO</a>

<ul>
</ul>

Other US states where Omicron has been found are California, Colorado, and Minnesota, each with one case. In all three cases, the patients were fully vaccinated and displayed only mild symptoms.

"New York State has confirmed five cases of the omicron variant," Hochul said in a Twitter post aimed at reassuring residents of the nation's fourth most populous state that the detections were not unexpected.

"Let me be clear: This is not cause for alarm. We knew this variant was coming and we have the tools to stop the spread," she said.

"Get your vaccine. Get your booster. Wear your mask."

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New York State has confirmed five cases of the omicron variant. 
 
Let me be clear: This is not cause for alarm. We knew this variant was coming and we have the tools to stop the spread. 
 
Get your vaccine. Get your booster. Wear your mask.
— Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovKathyHochul/status/1466546717185163269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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There was no immediate word on whether the new cases were near New York City - the country's most populous metropolitan area - and whether they were detected in individuals returning from overseas travel.

In the United States, at least eight cases have been confirmed, with one, in Minnesota, involving a person without recent international travel history. Such a case suggests the strain is already present and circulating inside the United States.

Watch |&nbsp;Omicron poses global risk, exposes great divide

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/omicron-poses-global-risk-exposes-great-divide-433500/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Hochul's figures follow President Biden's announcement that his administration is beefing up its campaign against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> as winter takes hold.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bidens-winter-covid-plan-is-aimed-at-keeping-the-us-economy-open-433655">Biden’s winter Covid plan is aimed at keeping the US economy open</a>

As part of the new measures, international travellers are required to undergo testing at least one day before flying, and mask mandates on public transportation will remain in effect through mid-March.

(With inputs from agencies)

Five new cases of the coronavirus variant Omicron have been detected in New York state, according to Governor Kathy Hochul. This brings the number of detections in the United States to eight.

Five new cases of the coronavirus variant Omicron have been detected in New York state, according to Governor Kathy Hochul. This brings the number of detections in the United States to eight. With the discovery of these cases, NY has now become the fourth US state with Omicron cases. Also read | Regardless of variant, complete vaccination key to protect against death, Covid disease: WHO Other US states where Omicron has been found are California, Colorado, and Minnesota, each with one case. In all three cases, the patients were fully vaccinated and displayed only mild symptoms. "New York State has confirmed five cases of the omicron variant," Hochul said in a Twitter post aimed at reassuring residents of the nation's fourth most populous state that the detections were not unexpected. "Let me be clear: This is not cause for alarm. We knew this variant was coming and we have the tools to stop the spread," she said. "Get your vaccine. Get your booster. Wear your mask." New York State has confirmed five cases of the omicron variant. Let me be clear: This is not cause for alarm. We knew this variant was coming and we have the tools to stop the spread. Get your vaccine. Get your booster. Wear your mask. — Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) December 2, 2021 × There was no immediate word on whether the new cases were near New York City - the country's most populous metropolitan area - and whether they were detected in individuals returning from overseas travel. In the United States, at least eight cases have been confirmed, with one, in Minnesota, involving a person without recent international travel history. Such a case suggests the strain is already present and circulating inside the United States. Watch | Omicron poses global risk, exposes great divide Hochul's figures follow President Biden's announcement that his administration is beefing up its campaign against COVID-19 as winter takes hold. Also read | Biden’s winter Covid plan is aimed at keeping the US economy open As part of the new measures, international travellers are required to undergo testing at least one day before flying, and mask mandates on public transportation will remain in effect through mid-March. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron scare: New York records 5 cases, bringing number of new variant cases in US to eight

India’s southern Karnataka has sounded alert after 10 South African nationals became untraceable following the detection of two Omicron cases in Bengaluru city.

The missing people, who arrived between November 12 and 22, were not found at the addresses given by them at the airport and their mobile phones were switched off.

As many as 57 persons had arrived from “at-risk” countries.

State revenue minister R Ashok said special force has been deployed to locate their whereabouts.

“By tonight (Friday) all 10 people who have reportedly gone missing should be traced and they should be tested. Travelers will not be allowed to leave the airport until their report is out,” Ashok said after a top level on Omicron.

Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday chaired a meeting with experts, senior Ministers and officials in the wake of two cases of Omicron variant being detected in the state.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/omicron-in-india-dont-need-fear-says-health-ministry-as-first-2-cases-found-one-patient-fully-vaccinated-433526">Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated</a>

The health department has already approached the police department to track and trace these persons. The department is planning to send all samples to genomic sequencing tests to get clarity on the presence of Omicron virus.

On Thursday, India reported its first Omicron case where two individuals—a 66-year-old South African national and a doctor from Bengaluru— tested positive.

The foreigner left the country after testing negative, while the doctor, aged 46, had no travel history.

Five contacts of the doctor have also tested positive and their samples have been sent for genomic sequencing.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-reports-omicron-cases-in-school-433807">Australia reports Omicron cases in school</a>

Meanwhile, the Karnataka state government announced certain preventive measures that include compulsory two dose vaccination for entering malls, cinema halls or theatres, and for parents of school or college going students.

Intensifying screening of international passengers at airports, asking educational institutions to postpone their public events, and limiting gatherings, meetings, conferences to 500 people, are among the other measures announced by the government.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-warns-asia-pacific-to-brace-for-omicron-urges-countries-to-speed-up-vaccination-433863">WHO warns Asia-Pacific to brace for Omicron, urges countries to speed up vaccination</a>

RT-PCR testing of over 16,000 passengers arriving on 58 flights from 'at risk' countries have been done so far. Eighteen of these tested positive for in RT-PCR testing, their genome sequencing is underway so that it can be determined if they have Omicron variant or not, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed the Lok Sabha earlier today.

(With inputs from agencies)

India’s southern Karnataka has sounded alert after 10 South African nationals became untraceable following the detection of two Omicron cases in Bengaluru city. The missing people, who arrived between November 12 and 22, were not found at the addresses given by them at the airport and their mobile phones were switched off.

India’s southern Karnataka has sounded alert after 10 South African nationals became untraceable following the detection of two Omicron cases in Bengaluru city. The missing people, who arrived between November 12 and 22, were not found at the addresses given by them at the airport and their mobile phones were switched off. As many as 57 persons had arrived from “at-risk” countries. State revenue minister R Ashok said special force has been deployed to locate their whereabouts. “By tonight (Friday) all 10 people who have reportedly gone missing should be traced and they should be tested. Travelers will not be allowed to leave the airport until their report is out,” Ashok said after a top level on Omicron. Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday chaired a meeting with experts, senior Ministers and officials in the wake of two cases of Omicron variant being detected in the state. Also read | Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated The health department has already approached the police department to track and trace these persons. The department is planning to send all samples to genomic sequencing tests to get clarity on the presence of Omicron virus. On Thursday, India reported its first Omicron case where two individuals—a 66-year-old South African national and a doctor from Bengaluru— tested positive. The foreigner left the country after testing negative, while the doctor, aged 46, had no travel history. Five contacts of the doctor have also tested positive and their samples have been sent for genomic sequencing. Also read | Australia reports Omicron cases in school Meanwhile, the Karnataka state government announced certain preventive measures that include compulsory two dose vaccination for entering malls, cinema halls or theatres, and for parents of school or college going students. Intensifying screening of international passengers at airports, asking educational institutions to postpone their public events, and limiting gatherings, meetings, conferences to 500 people, are among the other measures announced by the government. Also read | WHO warns Asia-Pacific to brace for Omicron, urges countries to speed up vaccination RT-PCR testing of over 16,000 passengers arriving on 58 flights from 'at risk' countries have been done so far. Eighteen of these tested positive for in RT-PCR testing, their genome sequencing is underway so that it can be determined if they have Omicron variant or not, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed the Lok Sabha earlier today. (With inputs from agencies)

A day after two Omicron cases reported from India’s Karnataka, 10 South African nationals go missing

South Africa is being hit by the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections driven by the newly found Omicron variant. The Omicron variant has raised global fears of a surge in infections and has prompted governments across continents to impose travel curbs and take other measures to contain it.

South Africa reels under fourth COVID-19 wave, cases rise by 5 times in one week

The World Health Organisation on Friday warned the Asia-Pacific countries to brace for the Omicron variant, asking them to take immediate measures to boost health infrastructure and pace up the vaccination drive.

After Europe and America, Omicron entered Asia this week after India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea reported Covid cases of the new variant.

Many countries have tightened travel restrictions in a bid to prevent the further spread of the virus, but the WHO’s warning to the Asia-Pacific, a region of about 650 million people, stressed that border controls could only buy them time.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-omicron-in-india-updates-two-cases-found-in-karnataka-433212">Also Read:&nbsp;Omicron Live update: At least 17 suspected Omicron cases after Oslo party</a>

“People should not only rely on border measures. What is most important is to prepare for these variants with potential high transmissibility. So far, the information available suggests we don't have to change our approach," Takeshi Kasai, WHO’s western Pacific director, told a media briefing.

Kasai urged countries to fully vaccinate vulnerable groups and stick to preventive measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-reports-omicron-cases-in-school-433807">Australia reports Omicron cases in school</a>

Vaccination rates vary from country to country in the Asia-Pacific but there are worrying gaps. Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country and once Asia's COVID-19 epicentre, has fully inoculated only about 35 per cent of its population of 270 million people, reports Reuters.

Australia's chief medical officer said Omicron was likely to become the dominant variant globally within months, but at this stage, there was no evidence it was any more dangerous than Delta which swept the world earlier this year.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-scare-new-york-records-5-cases-bringing-number-of-new-variant-cases-in-us-to-eight-433665">Also Read:&nbsp;New York records 5 cases, bringing number of new variant cases in US to eight</a>

"I suspect within the (next few) months, Omicron will be the new virus in the world," Paul Kelly, the top medical advisor to the Australian government, told reporters.

(With inputs from agencies)

The World Health Organisation on Friday warned the Asia-Pacific countries to brace for the Omicron variant, asking them to take immediate measures to boost health infrastructure and pace up the vaccination drive.

The World Health Organisation on Friday warned the Asia-Pacific countries to brace for the Omicron variant, asking them to take immediate measures to boost health infrastructure and pace up the vaccination drive. After Europe and America, Omicron entered Asia this week after India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea reported Covid cases of the new variant. Many countries have tightened travel restrictions in a bid to prevent the further spread of the virus, but the WHO’s warning to the Asia-Pacific, a region of about 650 million people, stressed that border controls could only buy them time. Also Read: Omicron Live update: At least 17 suspected Omicron cases after Oslo party “People should not only rely on border measures. What is most important is to prepare for these variants with potential high transmissibility. So far, the information available suggests we don't have to change our approach," Takeshi Kasai, WHO’s western Pacific director, told a media briefing. Kasai urged countries to fully vaccinate vulnerable groups and stick to preventive measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing. Also read | Australia reports Omicron cases in school Vaccination rates vary from country to country in the Asia-Pacific but there are worrying gaps. Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country and once Asia's COVID-19 epicentre, has fully inoculated only about 35 per cent of its population of 270 million people, reports Reuters. Australia's chief medical officer said Omicron was likely to become the dominant variant globally within months, but at this stage, there was no evidence it was any more dangerous than Delta which swept the world earlier this year. Also Read: New York records 5 cases, bringing number of new variant cases in US to eight "I suspect within the (next few) months, Omicron will be the new virus in the world," Paul Kelly, the top medical advisor to the Australian government, told reporters. (With inputs from agencies)

WHO warns Asia-Pacific to brace for Omicron, urges countries to speed up vaccination

At a time when the world is facing the new variant 'Omicron' of COVID-19, the administration in Jammu and Kashmir has sprung into action. The administration has chalked out new rules and regulations for the international travellers coming to Kashmir Valley.&nbsp;

All those people who are either tourists from different countries or locals who travelled abroad will have to be quarantined. The official quarantine will continue till the time test reports come, followed by&nbsp;home quarantine for one week.&nbsp;

The Srinagar administration has set up three special quarantine centers for foreign tourists and locals who have traveled abroad. These facilities would be free of cost. The administration has also established paid quarantine centers where&nbsp;full medical arrangements will be made as well.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/south-africa-witnesses-rise-in-covid-reinfections-433797">WATCH |</a>

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''WHO has detected the new variant and says it is a cause of concern, they have called it Omicron. We have taken steps at the Srinagar airport, all tourists and locals coming from abroad will have to get a RT-PCR test done at the airport only. After taking the samples, we have set up quarantine centres and till the time results don't come, they have to stay in these centres. We have taken these steps to stop the border transmission," said Ajaz Asad District Commissioner, Srinagar. "Yesterday, a passenger from Bandipora who had come from Saudi Arabia tested positive and there are four such samples which are inconclusive. The moment we get the results of these, the ones who come positive will be sent to DRDO Hospital and those who will test negative will be asked to home-quarantine for a week.''

The tourists who are landing in Srinagar are finding it difficult to adhere to these new rules by the Srinagar administration. They say that they have not explained the new protocols. One such American tourist in Srinagar was completely dissatisfied with the authorities' handling of the situation. She, along with other tourists, were unhappy about their travel.

''They told me to wait and get tested and I don't know what's the protocol,&nbsp;nobody explained to me. I waited for two or three hours and they told me to get tested again. Then they took us to quarantine. First, they told one day, then seven days. This is inhumane what they are doing to everybody,"&nbsp;said Itresha, an American tourist.&nbsp;"If the Indian government says if you test negative, it's fine, why are there different regulations here. You can't make your own rules as you go along, it's not right, it's inhumane. This is my first time here and I don't feel welcome here. I feel really bad for everyone who has to go through the same.'' &nbsp;

The marriage hall and two hotels with all facilities have been converted into the Quarantine centres. After the International travellers go through the covid tests at the Srinagar International Airport, they have to be quarantined at these facilities till the results come.&nbsp;

''I have landed in Srinagar this morning, central government had issued a list of countries where in those people need to be quarantined, but we are coming from Maldives. We said okay to RT-PCR but we are being told that if you come negative you have to stay at home for seven days; we don't live here and we can't be hotel bound for next seven days. There is no hot water or food here for us. It's difficult as we don't know anyone here and we are stuck,'' said Tushar Saxena, Delhi resident who returned from Maldives.&nbsp;

Jammu and Kashmir is also witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases. The daily cases in the union territory have crossed 200 mark while 39 people have died last month due to the Covid related issues. In the last 24 hours, 177 new cases have been detected in Jammu Kashmir.&nbsp;

At a time when the world is facing the new variant 'Omicron' of COVID-19, the administration in Jammu and Kashmir has sprung into action. The administration has chalked out new rules and regulations for the international travellers coming to Kashmir Valley.

At a time when the world is facing the new variant 'Omicron' of COVID-19, the administration in Jammu and Kashmir has sprung into action. The administration has chalked out new rules and regulations for the international travellers coming to Kashmir Valley. All those people who are either tourists from different countries or locals who travelled abroad will have to be quarantined. The official quarantine will continue till the time test reports come, followed by home quarantine for one week. The Srinagar administration has set up three special quarantine centers for foreign tourists and locals who have traveled abroad. These facilities would be free of cost. The administration has also established paid quarantine centers where full medical arrangements will be made as well. WATCH | ''WHO has detected the new variant and says it is a cause of concern, they have called it Omicron. We have taken steps at the Srinagar airport, all tourists and locals coming from abroad will have to get a RT-PCR test done at the airport only. After taking the samples, we have set up quarantine centres and till the time results don't come, they have to stay in these centres. We have taken these steps to stop the border transmission," said Ajaz Asad District Commissioner, Srinagar. "Yesterday, a passenger from Bandipora who had come from Saudi Arabia tested positive and there are four such samples which are inconclusive. The moment we get the results of these, the ones who come positive will be sent to DRDO Hospital and those who will test negative will be asked to home-quarantine for a week.'' The tourists who are landing in Srinagar are finding it difficult to adhere to these new rules by the Srinagar administration. They say that they have not explained the new protocols. One such American tourist in Srinagar was completely dissatisfied with the authorities' handling of the situation. She, along with other tourists, were unhappy about their travel. ''They told me to wait and get tested and I don't know what's the protocol, nobody explained to me. I waited for two or three hours and they told me to get tested again. Then they took us to quarantine. First, they told one day, then seven days. This is inhumane what they are doing to everybody," said Itresha, an American tourist. "If the Indian government says if you test negative, it's fine, why are there different regulations here. You can't make your own rules as you go along, it's not right, it's inhumane. This is my first time here and I don't feel welcome here. I feel really bad for everyone who has to go through the same.'' The marriage hall and two hotels with all facilities have been converted into the Quarantine centres. After the International travellers go through the covid tests at the Srinagar International Airport, they have to be quarantined at these facilities till the results come. ''I have landed in Srinagar this morning, central government had issued a list of countries where in those people need to be quarantined, but we are coming from Maldives. We said okay to RT-PCR but we are being told that if you come negative you have to stay at home for seven days; we don't live here and we can't be hotel bound for next seven days. There is no hot water or food here for us. It's difficult as we don't know anyone here and we are stuck,'' said Tushar Saxena, Delhi resident who returned from Maldives. Jammu and Kashmir is also witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases. The daily cases in the union territory have crossed 200 mark while 39 people have died last month due to the Covid related issues. In the last 24 hours, 177 new cases have been detected in Jammu Kashmir.

Omicron variant in India: New rules for international travellers coming to Kashmir Valley

Scientists are pretty sure that the Omicron covid variant is causing an increase in the number of covid reinfections in South Africa and is also overpowering the Delta variant to become the country's most dominant strain.

South Africa witnesses rise in covid reinfections

As soon as the first U.S. case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus was reported in San Francisco, California officials began sounding the same message: Don’t panic.

“We are not surprised by this. This was predictable. This was predicted,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a news conference yesterday. “We should assume that it’s in other states as well.”

Omicron, a highly mutated version of the coronavirus that was first identified in South Africa, has been detected in more than 25 countries. But that still raises the question: If omicron is spreading far and wide, why was the first U.S. case discovered in San Francisco?

As with most things, there is an element of randomness here. If we think back to the spring of 2020, an early coronavirus outbreak at a Seattle nursing home signaled terrible luck — not that the city was the most infected in the nation.

It is most likely a similar situation in San Francisco. The city is one of the most vaccinated places in the country — with 77% of residents fully immunized against COVID-19 — so it is not particularly susceptible to coronavirus outbreaks.

But its popularity with global travelers does make it vulnerable to contagion imported from elsewhere.

On Tuesday, before the Bay Area case was identified, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced expanded omicron screening at San Francisco International Airport, calling it one “of the busiest international airports in the country.”

Indeed, the San Franciscan infected with omicron had returned from a trip to South Africa on Nov. 22. The patient’s symptoms began three days later.

That set off a rapid chain of events. The infected person, who is between ages 18-49, was tested Sunday and got a positive result Monday. In less than 24 hours, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, had determined that it was omicron.

Newsom chalked up the diagnosis to California having “the most robust testing program and protocols in the nation” as well as strong collaborations with major academic centers such as UCSF.

Compared with the nation overall, California does perform genetic sequencing on a higher percentage of coronavirus samples — roughly 1 in 5. (Since August, those tests have shown that at least 98% of Californians with COVID-19 have been infected with the delta variant.)

Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s secretary of health and human services, said the San Francisco patient was self-isolating and had mild symptoms that were improving, and that no close contacts had tested positive — what he called “a testimony to the importance of vaccinations.” The patient had received two doses of the Moderna vaccine but no booster.

Though scientists must still determine how well the shots will ultimately protect against omicron, many experts expect they will ward off severe illness and death, if not infections altogether. Answers about whether omicron is more contagious or deadly remain elusive.

In light of omicron’s arrival in the United States, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president’s top medical adviser, said Americans should not wait for pharmaceutical companies to develop a booster shot designed for the new variant and that the available doses would provide extra protection.

“Get boosted now,” he said. “We may not need a variant-specific boost.”

As soon as the first U.S. case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus was reported in San Francisco, California officials began sounding the same message: Don’t panic.

As soon as the first U.S. case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus was reported in San Francisco, California officials began sounding the same message: Don’t panic. “We are not surprised by this. This was predictable. This was predicted,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a news conference yesterday. “We should assume that it’s in other states as well.” Omicron, a highly mutated version of the coronavirus that was first identified in South Africa, has been detected in more than 25 countries. But that still raises the question: If omicron is spreading far and wide, why was the first U.S. case discovered in San Francisco? As with most things, there is an element of randomness here. If we think back to the spring of 2020, an early coronavirus outbreak at a Seattle nursing home signaled terrible luck — not that the city was the most infected in the nation. It is most likely a similar situation in San Francisco. The city is one of the most vaccinated places in the country — with 77% of residents fully immunized against COVID-19 — so it is not particularly susceptible to coronavirus outbreaks. But its popularity with global travelers does make it vulnerable to contagion imported from elsewhere. On Tuesday, before the Bay Area case was identified, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced expanded omicron screening at San Francisco International Airport, calling it one “of the busiest international airports in the country.” Indeed, the San Franciscan infected with omicron had returned from a trip to South Africa on Nov. 22. The patient’s symptoms began three days later. That set off a rapid chain of events. The infected person, who is between ages 18-49, was tested Sunday and got a positive result Monday. In less than 24 hours, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, had determined that it was omicron. Newsom chalked up the diagnosis to California having “the most robust testing program and protocols in the nation” as well as strong collaborations with major academic centers such as UCSF. Compared with the nation overall, California does perform genetic sequencing on a higher percentage of coronavirus samples — roughly 1 in 5. (Since August, those tests have shown that at least 98% of Californians with COVID-19 have been infected with the delta variant.) Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s secretary of health and human services, said the San Francisco patient was self-isolating and had mild symptoms that were improving, and that no close contacts had tested positive — what he called “a testimony to the importance of vaccinations.” The patient had received two doses of the Moderna vaccine but no booster. Though scientists must still determine how well the shots will ultimately protect against omicron, many experts expect they will ward off severe illness and death, if not infections altogether. Answers about whether omicron is more contagious or deadly remain elusive. In light of omicron’s arrival in the United States, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president’s top medical adviser, said Americans should not wait for pharmaceutical companies to develop a booster shot designed for the new variant and that the available doses would provide extra protection. “Get boosted now,” he said. “We may not need a variant-specific boost.”

Why Omicron was first found in San Francisco

As alarm over the new Covid strain, Omicron, spreads, World Health Organisation’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan on Thursday said the only way to tackle against any new variants is to get fully vaccinated.

“Regardless of the variant, complete vaccination is likely to protect against severe disease and deaths, especially in older age groups,” Swaminathan wrote on Twitter, adding that the goal now ought to be to protect those around the world who currently have not had access to any COVID-19 jabs.

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Regardless of the variant, complete vaccination is likely to protect against severe disease and deaths, especially in older age groups, as observed in these countries <a href="https://t.co/Bz5sw8aHCO">https://t.co/Bz5sw8aHCO</a>
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Omicron variant was designated as ‘variant of concern’ by the WHO last week after they came to the conclusion that it was “highly likely” that the new strain can escape immunity caused by previous infection or vaccination, because of the presence of over 30 mutations on its spike protein.

The new variant has forced all the countries to reinforce travel bans amid concerns over the spread of the virus.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/omicron-in-india-dont-need-fear-says-health-ministry-as-first-2-cases-found-one-patient-fully-vaccinated-433526">Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated</a>

More than 56 countries were reportedly implementing travel measures aimed at potentially delaying the importation of the new variant.

The WHO has slammed nations for creating hype and panic over the new variant.

It was “certainly a worry” that scientists may be dissuaded from revealing new information about variants after seeing what has happened to southern Africa, WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead Dr Maria Van Kerkhove was quoted as saying.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/omicron-no-kissing-under-mistletoe-this-christmas-advises-british-politician-433630">Omicron: No kissing under mistletoe this Christmas, advises British politician</a>

Following the news about the Omicron variant from South Africa and Botswana, many countries including the US, and the UK, moved to bring in travel bans or quarantines for travellers from a number of African countries.

First reported to the WHO less than a week ago after being detected in southern Africa earlier this month, Omicron has already appeared in several countries.

(With inputs from agencies)

As alarm over the new Covid strain, Omicron, spreads, World Health Organisation’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan on Thursday said the only way to tackle against any new variants is to get fully vaccinated.

As alarm over the new Covid strain, Omicron, spreads, World Health Organisation’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan on Thursday said the only way to tackle against any new variants is to get fully vaccinated. “Regardless of the variant, complete vaccination is likely to protect against severe disease and deaths, especially in older age groups,” Swaminathan wrote on Twitter, adding that the goal now ought to be to protect those around the world who currently have not had access to any COVID-19 jabs. Regardless of the variant, complete vaccination is likely to protect against severe disease and deaths, especially in older age groups, as observed in these countries https://t.co/Bz5sw8aHCO — Soumya Swaminathan (@doctorsoumya) December 2, 2021 × Omicron variant was designated as ‘variant of concern’ by the WHO last week after they came to the conclusion that it was “highly likely” that the new strain can escape immunity caused by previous infection or vaccination, because of the presence of over 30 mutations on its spike protein. The new variant has forced all the countries to reinforce travel bans amid concerns over the spread of the virus. Also read | Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated More than 56 countries were reportedly implementing travel measures aimed at potentially delaying the importation of the new variant. The WHO has slammed nations for creating hype and panic over the new variant. It was “certainly a worry” that scientists may be dissuaded from revealing new information about variants after seeing what has happened to southern Africa, WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead Dr Maria Van Kerkhove was quoted as saying. Also read | Omicron: No kissing under mistletoe this Christmas, advises British politician Following the news about the Omicron variant from South Africa and Botswana, many countries including the US, and the UK, moved to bring in travel bans or quarantines for travellers from a number of African countries. First reported to the WHO less than a week ago after being detected in southern Africa earlier this month, Omicron has already appeared in several countries. (With inputs from agencies)

Regardless of variant, complete vaccination key to protect against death, Covid disease: WHO

Christmas is known for an abundance of colour red but a red flag raised by a British politician has hit headlines. There perhaps couldn't have been a clearer sign of how Omicron variant is poised to prolong the dreaded pandemic and even hurt our businesses. All sorts.

World is waiting with bated breath for our scientists to unravel secrets of Omicron and find a remedy. And as per a British politician people should avoid kissing this Christmas

No pressure!

Those who know the tradition would tell you about kissing under the mistletoe. The politician was referring to that, and act of kissing in general apparently.

"Well, for what it's worth, I don't think there should be much snogging under the mistletoe," said Therese Coffey UK Work and Pensions Secretary. Snogging is British slang for kissing. Coffey was speaking on ITV. She was asked whether people should be cautious this festive season or they should carry on with their plans.

UK on Thursday approved GlaxoSmithKline Covid drug. The manufacturer said it appears effective against the new Omicron variant.

The antibody treatment, sotrovimab, "was found to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death in people with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection who are at an increased risk of developing severe disease," said the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Christmas is known for an abundance of colour red but a red flag raised by a British politician has hit headlines. There perhaps couldn't have been a clearer sign of how Omicron variant is poised to prolong the dreaded pandemic and even hurt our businesses.

Christmas is known for an abundance of colour red but a red flag raised by a British politician has hit headlines. There perhaps couldn't have been a clearer sign of how Omicron variant is poised to prolong the dreaded pandemic and even hurt our businesses. All sorts. World is waiting with bated breath for our scientists to unravel secrets of Omicron and find a remedy. And as per a British politician people should avoid kissing this Christmas No pressure! Those who know the tradition would tell you about kissing under the mistletoe. The politician was referring to that, and act of kissing in general apparently. "Well, for what it's worth, I don't think there should be much snogging under the mistletoe," said Therese Coffey UK Work and Pensions Secretary. Snogging is British slang for kissing. Coffey was speaking on ITV. She was asked whether people should be cautious this festive season or they should carry on with their plans. UK on Thursday approved GlaxoSmithKline Covid drug. The manufacturer said it appears effective against the new Omicron variant. The antibody treatment, sotrovimab, "was found to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death in people with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection who are at an increased risk of developing severe disease," said the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Omicron: No kissing under mistletoe this Christmas, advises British politician

Germany imposed restrictions on the unvaccinated on Thursday in a bid to break dramatic surge in coronavirus cases and the latest Omicron&nbsp;scare.

Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor Olaf Scholz agreed with leaders of Germany's 16 states to bar the unvaccinated from access to all but the most essential businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies and bakeries.

The leaders also passed legislation in national parliament to make vaccination compulsory.

Eager to avoid lockdowns that could derail a fragile recovery of Europe's biggest economy, they kept businesses open to the almost 69% of the population that is fully vaccinated as well as those with proof of having recovered from COVID-19.

"The situation is very serious," Merkel said during a news conference with Scholz, who is expected to be elected as chancellor by the Bundestag (lower house) next week. "The number of infections has stabilized, but on a far too high a level."

She further said that an ethics committee will be asked to draft legislation that will make vaccination mandatory.

Authorities fear the fourth wave of COVID-19 risks overwhelming intensive care units and on Thursday it resulted in more than 73,000 new infections and 388 deaths.

Virologists blame the renewed outbreak on resistance to vaccination by a significant section of society, and have criticised politicians for acting too late to rein in contagion.

Germany's vaccination rate of just under 70% is around the EU average but lower than countries like Portugal and Ireland.

There have been signs that the curve showing new infections is starting to flatten. The seven-day incidence among 100,000 residents fell for the third consecutive day to 439.2.

Merkel, who hailed the restrictions as a necessary "national act of solidarity," said that in regions where the 7-day incidence hits 350, steps such as closing nightclubs and music venues and limiting indoor events to 50 people would kick in.

(With inputs from agencies)

Germany imposed restrictions on the unvaccinated on Thursday in a bid to break dramatic surge in coronavirus cases and the latest Omicron scare. Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor Olaf Scholz agreed with leaders of Germany's 16 states to bar the unvaccinated from access to all but the most essential businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies and bakeries.

Germany imposed restrictions on the unvaccinated on Thursday in a bid to break dramatic surge in coronavirus cases and the latest Omicron scare. Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor Olaf Scholz agreed with leaders of Germany's 16 states to bar the unvaccinated from access to all but the most essential businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies and bakeries. The leaders also passed legislation in national parliament to make vaccination compulsory. Eager to avoid lockdowns that could derail a fragile recovery of Europe's biggest economy, they kept businesses open to the almost 69% of the population that is fully vaccinated as well as those with proof of having recovered from COVID-19. "The situation is very serious," Merkel said during a news conference with Scholz, who is expected to be elected as chancellor by the Bundestag (lower house) next week. "The number of infections has stabilized, but on a far too high a level." She further said that an ethics committee will be asked to draft legislation that will make vaccination mandatory. Authorities fear the fourth wave of COVID-19 risks overwhelming intensive care units and on Thursday it resulted in more than 73,000 new infections and 388 deaths. Virologists blame the renewed outbreak on resistance to vaccination by a significant section of society, and have criticised politicians for acting too late to rein in contagion. Germany's vaccination rate of just under 70% is around the EU average but lower than countries like Portugal and Ireland. There have been signs that the curve showing new infections is starting to flatten. The seven-day incidence among 100,000 residents fell for the third consecutive day to 439.2. Merkel, who hailed the restrictions as a necessary "national act of solidarity," said that in regions where the 7-day incidence hits 350, steps such as closing nightclubs and music venues and limiting indoor events to 50 people would kick in. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron scare: Germany gets tough on unvaccinated, imposes restrictions

The head of US pharma giant, Pfizer, has said that yearly Covid vaccination might be necessary to maintain a “very high level of protection”.

Dr Albert Bourla, chief executive at the company which delivered the world's first Covid vaccine a year ago, said the countries may have to rely on jabs for many years to come to counter new variants and waning immunity.

Bourla told BBC that they are working on an updated vaccine for the Omicron variant, while adding that it could be ready in 100 days.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/netherlands-belgium-germany-had-omicron-cases-a-week-before-safrica-identified-the-coronavirus-variant-433005">Netherlands, Belgium, Germany had Omicron cases a week before S.Africa identified the Coronavirus variant</a>

“If we have to make a guess based on everything I have seen so far, I would say that annual vaccinations...are likely to be needed to maintain a very robust and very high level of protection,” he said.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/omicron-in-india-dont-need-fear-says-health-ministry-as-first-2-cases-found-one-patient-fully-vaccinated-433526">Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated</a>

He said that Pfizer had already updated vaccines in response to the Beta, first identified in South Africa, and Delta, first identified in India, variants but that they had not been needed.

Bourla was described as unapologetic about making profits from the jabs, saying they had saved “millions of lives” around the globe.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-fully-vaccinated-israeli-doctors-get-infected-with-omicron-variant-433249">Two fully vaccinated Israeli doctors get infected with Omicron variant</a>

“We have saved the global economy trillions of dollars. It is a strong incentive for innovation for the next pandemic. But people will see that if they step up to the game, to bring something that saves lives and saves money, there is also a financial reward,” he said.

The call for yearly vaccination from the Pfizer head comes as the world braces itself to tackle a new Covid variant that first emerged from South Africa.

The Omicron coronavirus variant was designated as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization after they found that the new strain had the ability to bypass the immunity generated by the vaccines.

(With inputs from agencies)

The head of US pharma giant, Pfizer, has said that yearly Covid vaccination might be necessary to maintain a “very high level of protection”. Dr Albert Bourla, chief executive at the company which delivered the world's first Covid vaccine a year ago, said the countries may have to rely on jabs for many years to come to counter new variants and waning immunity.

The head of US pharma giant, Pfizer, has said that yearly Covid vaccination might be necessary to maintain a “very high level of protection”. Dr Albert Bourla, chief executive at the company which delivered the world's first Covid vaccine a year ago, said the countries may have to rely on jabs for many years to come to counter new variants and waning immunity. Bourla told BBC that they are working on an updated vaccine for the Omicron variant, while adding that it could be ready in 100 days. Also read | Netherlands, Belgium, Germany had Omicron cases a week before S.Africa identified the Coronavirus variant “If we have to make a guess based on everything I have seen so far, I would say that annual vaccinations...are likely to be needed to maintain a very robust and very high level of protection,” he said. Also read | Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated He said that Pfizer had already updated vaccines in response to the Beta, first identified in South Africa, and Delta, first identified in India, variants but that they had not been needed. Bourla was described as unapologetic about making profits from the jabs, saying they had saved “millions of lives” around the globe. Also read | Two fully vaccinated Israeli doctors get infected with Omicron variant “We have saved the global economy trillions of dollars. It is a strong incentive for innovation for the next pandemic. But people will see that if they step up to the game, to bring something that saves lives and saves money, there is also a financial reward,” he said. The call for yearly vaccination from the Pfizer head comes as the world braces itself to tackle a new Covid variant that first emerged from South Africa. The Omicron coronavirus variant was designated as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization after they found that the new strain had the ability to bypass the immunity generated by the vaccines. (With inputs from agencies)

Yearly Covid vaccinations necessary to counter new variants, waning immunity: Pfizer boss

India's health ministry urged responsibility, not fear, as it confirmed on Thursday that two cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been found in the country.&nbsp;

Both the cases were reported from the southern Karnataka&nbsp;state. Two males, aged 66 and 46, have tested positive.&nbsp;

According to Bengaluru civic authorities, the 66-year-old foreigner had come to Bengaluru city on November 20 from South Africa, while the 46-year-old is a health worker from Bengaluru.

The foreigner was fully vaccinated, while the other had received one dose.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Three primary contacts and two secondary contacts of the 46-year-old male tested positive between 22nd and 25th November. All are isolated," the civic authorities said in a statement.

"Two people found positive for the Omicron variant of COVID19. One person is about a 66-year-old, South African national, who has gone back. Another person is a 46-year-old doctor. He doesn't have any travel history,"&nbsp;Karnataka's health minister Dr K Sudhakar said.

"Out of his (doctor's) primary &amp; secondary contact, five people tested positive for COVID-19. So, a total of six people have been isolated&nbsp;and admitted to a government hospital. None of them are showing any serious symptoms. All these people are fully vaccinated," he&nbsp;added.

The minister further said that the foreigner has left for South Africa via Dubai, adding, "He had presented a negative certificate for the virus&nbsp;from a private lab. His primary and secondary contacts (total 264) were found negative. So, it means to say that his certificate may be true."

Symptoms of the two patients have been mild, according to the officials.&nbsp; All cases reported till now have not been found with any severe symptoms, they said.

“All Omicron related cases are found to have mild symptoms so far...In all such cases in the country and across the world so far, no severe symptom has been noted. WHO has said that its emerging evidence is being studied,” Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, said.

Watch

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"We need not panic about Omicron detection but awareness is absolutely essential. Follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and avoid gatherings," said Balram Bhargava, director general of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), adding that increased COVID-19 vaccine uptake was the need of the hour.

"Do not delay in getting fully vaccinated," he said.

The government stated that 373 cases of Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 have been detected in 29 nations so far and India was monitoring the situation.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/omicron-chaos-a-list-of-countries-that-have-reported-cases-of-new-variant-432677">Omicron chaos: A list of countries that have reported cases of new variant</a>

All "at-risk" flights incoming are first thermal-screened and RTPCR test is being done on them. Till now 10 positive cases have been found in those who arrived from at-risk countries.&nbsp;They have been genome-sequenced and monitored.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-fully-vaccinated-israeli-doctors-get-infected-with-omicron-variant-433249">Two fully vaccinated Israeli doctors get infected with Omicron variant</a>

India has placed 11 countries under the “at-risk category”. They are: the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Israel.

“Omicron's characteristics and impact are still being researched. Diagnostic tests are working," he said, adding that&nbsp;vaccinations will be protective.&nbsp;

The officials said that Omicron's characteristics and impact are still being researched, adding that&nbsp;diagnostic tests are working and&nbsp;vaccinations will be protective.

They noted that the countries that have taken the restrictions lightly are now re-introducing measures.

Noting that masks are very important, the officials urged to keep using them and avoid crowds and stay in ventilated places.

Surveillance on International travellers should be increased, while inside the country, clusters should be properly monitored, they added.

India's health ministry urged responsibility, not fear, as it confirmed on Thursday that two cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been found in the country.

India's health ministry urged responsibility, not fear, as it confirmed on Thursday that two cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been found in the country. Both the cases were reported from the southern Karnataka state. Two males, aged 66 and 46, have tested positive. According to Bengaluru civic authorities, the 66-year-old foreigner had come to Bengaluru city on November 20 from South Africa, while the 46-year-old is a health worker from Bengaluru. The foreigner was fully vaccinated, while the other had received one dose. "Three primary contacts and two secondary contacts of the 46-year-old male tested positive between 22nd and 25th November. All are isolated," the civic authorities said in a statement. "Two people found positive for the Omicron variant of COVID19. One person is about a 66-year-old, South African national, who has gone back. Another person is a 46-year-old doctor. He doesn't have any travel history," Karnataka's health minister Dr K Sudhakar said. "Out of his (doctor's) primary & secondary contact, five people tested positive for COVID-19. So, a total of six people have been isolated and admitted to a government hospital. None of them are showing any serious symptoms. All these people are fully vaccinated," he added. The minister further said that the foreigner has left for South Africa via Dubai, adding, "He had presented a negative certificate for the virus from a private lab. His primary and secondary contacts (total 264) were found negative. So, it means to say that his certificate may be true." Symptoms of the two patients have been mild, according to the officials. All cases reported till now have not been found with any severe symptoms, they said. “All Omicron related cases are found to have mild symptoms so far...In all such cases in the country and across the world so far, no severe symptom has been noted. WHO has said that its emerging evidence is being studied,” Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, said. Watch "We need not panic about Omicron detection but awareness is absolutely essential. Follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and avoid gatherings," said Balram Bhargava, director general of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), adding that increased COVID-19 vaccine uptake was the need of the hour. "Do not delay in getting fully vaccinated," he said. The government stated that 373 cases of Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 have been detected in 29 nations so far and India was monitoring the situation. Also read | Omicron chaos: A list of countries that have reported cases of new variant All "at-risk" flights incoming are first thermal-screened and RTPCR test is being done on them. Till now 10 positive cases have been found in those who arrived from at-risk countries. They have been genome-sequenced and monitored. Also read | Two fully vaccinated Israeli doctors get infected with Omicron variant India has placed 11 countries under the “at-risk category”. They are: the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Israel. “Omicron's characteristics and impact are still being researched. Diagnostic tests are working," he said, adding that vaccinations will be protective. The officials said that Omicron's characteristics and impact are still being researched, adding that diagnostic tests are working and vaccinations will be protective. They noted that the countries that have taken the restrictions lightly are now re-introducing measures. Noting that masks are very important, the officials urged to keep using them and avoid crowds and stay in ventilated places. Surveillance on International travellers should be increased, while inside the country, clusters should be properly monitored, they added.

Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found; one patient fully vaccinated

At least 380 passengers from Omicron 'at-risk' countries arrived in Indian state of Odisha in two days, said officials on Thursday.

State's Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said that 224 persons returned to Odisha on November 28 while 156 arrived on November 29.

India on Thursday (December 2) reported first two cases of Omicron variant in the country. Two male patients were found to carry the infection. The cases have been found in southern Indian state of Karnataka.&nbsp;

Odisha Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said that information about arrivals from 'at-risk' countries has been shared with district administrations.&nbsp;

It has been made mandatory that all passengers arriving from the foreign countries will have to undergo RT-PCR test before entering the state.

Those found positive will immediately be sent to isolation and the swab samples will be sent for genome sequencing, Mishra said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-omicron-in-india-updates-two-cases-found-in-karnataka-433212">Click here for LIVE updates on the Omicron threat</a>

If the test report comes negative, the traveller or returnee will have to remain under seven-day home quarantine mandatorily and again undergo another round of Covid-19 test on the eighth day, the director said.

After that, the concerned person will also remain under self-observation for another seven days. In total, one person will have to remain under surveillance for at least 14 days, he added.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/omicron-in-india-dont-need-fear-says-health-ministry-as-first-2-cases-found-433526">Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found</a>

Meanwhile, 33 students of a Plus II residential college in Dhenkanal town of Odisha tested Covid-19 positive. The local authority sealed college buildings and its hostel, and declared it as a micro containment zone.

More than 70 students of medical college in Burla of Sambalpur district, 53 girl students of a government-run high school in Sundargarh and 26 students of a tribal school in Mayurbhanj district have tested positive for the virus in the past few days.

(With inputs from agencies)

At least 380 passengers from Omicron 'at-risk' countries arrived in Indian state of Odisha in two days, said officials on Thursday. State's Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said that 224 persons returned to Odisha on November 28 while 156 arrived on November 29.

At least 380 passengers from Omicron 'at-risk' countries arrived in Indian state of Odisha in two days, said officials on Thursday. State's Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said that 224 persons returned to Odisha on November 28 while 156 arrived on November 29. India on Thursday (December 2) reported first two cases of Omicron variant in the country. Two male patients were found to carry the infection. The cases have been found in southern Indian state of Karnataka. Odisha Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said that information about arrivals from 'at-risk' countries has been shared with district administrations. It has been made mandatory that all passengers arriving from the foreign countries will have to undergo RT-PCR test before entering the state. Those found positive will immediately be sent to isolation and the swab samples will be sent for genome sequencing, Mishra said. Click here for LIVE updates on the Omicron threat If the test report comes negative, the traveller or returnee will have to remain under seven-day home quarantine mandatorily and again undergo another round of Covid-19 test on the eighth day, the director said. After that, the concerned person will also remain under self-observation for another seven days. In total, one person will have to remain under surveillance for at least 14 days, he added. Also Read | Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found Meanwhile, 33 students of a Plus II residential college in Dhenkanal town of Odisha tested Covid-19 positive. The local authority sealed college buildings and its hostel, and declared it as a micro containment zone. More than 70 students of medical college in Burla of Sambalpur district, 53 girl students of a government-run high school in Sundargarh and 26 students of a tribal school in Mayurbhanj district have tested positive for the virus in the past few days. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron in India: 300+ arrived in Odisha from 'at-risk' countries in two days

A relatively lesser-known cryptocurrency had been witnessing a massive surge in the crypto market. In two days, the value of the digital token shot up by a massive 900 per cent.

The unprecedented rise in value is due to the fact that the crypto shares the same name with the new Covid variant—Omicron.

Omicron crypto shot up by 900 per cent in just two days after the WHO christened the new COVID-19 variant after a Greek word.

According to data byCoinMarketCap, the crypto was trading at $692.45 on November 29, from $64.94 on November 27.

However, its value has been halved since then. On Thursday, till 4.30 pm (IST), Omicron, which was launched at the start of November, was trading at $293.09, with a fully diluted market cap of $324.73 million, as per the platform.

Omicron operates on the Ethereum layer two network Arbitrum. The token is backed by several other cryptocurrencies including the USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin and liquidity provider tokens.

CoinMarketCap cautioned investors against getting blown by the rapid rise of the Omicron crypto coin, saying though it has outperformed popular coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum, this does not mean it's a worthwhile investment. "Little is known about this decentralised finance project, and robust data surrounding the project is proving hard to come by," it added.

The sudden rise of Omicron crypto bore parallels to the ‘Squid Game’ crypto, named after the hit Netflix show series, that initially skyrocketed for a few days, after which it crashed massively.

The Squid coin surged to a high of over $2,800 and then immediately crashed to $0.01.

(With inputs from agencies)

A relatively lesser-known cryptocurrency had been witnessing a massive surge in the crypto market. In two days, the value of the digital token shot up by a massive 900 per cent.

A relatively lesser-known cryptocurrency had been witnessing a massive surge in the crypto market. In two days, the value of the digital token shot up by a massive 900 per cent. The unprecedented rise in value is due to the fact that the crypto shares the same name with the new Covid variant—Omicron. Omicron crypto shot up by 900 per cent in just two days after the WHO christened the new COVID-19 variant after a Greek word. According to data byCoinMarketCap, the crypto was trading at $692.45 on November 29, from $64.94 on November 27. However, its value has been halved since then. On Thursday, till 4.30 pm (IST), Omicron, which was launched at the start of November, was trading at $293.09, with a fully diluted market cap of $324.73 million, as per the platform. Omicron operates on the Ethereum layer two network Arbitrum. The token is backed by several other cryptocurrencies including the USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin and liquidity provider tokens. CoinMarketCap cautioned investors against getting blown by the rapid rise of the Omicron crypto coin, saying though it has outperformed popular coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum, this does not mean it's a worthwhile investment. "Little is known about this decentralised finance project, and robust data surrounding the project is proving hard to come by," it added. The sudden rise of Omicron crypto bore parallels to the ‘Squid Game’ crypto, named after the hit Netflix show series, that initially skyrocketed for a few days, after which it crashed massively. The Squid coin surged to a high of over $2,800 and then immediately crashed to $0.01. (With inputs from agencies)

After WHO names new Covid variant, Omicron crypto’s value skyrockets by 900 per cent, then nose-dives

The spread of the Omicron coronavirus (COVID-19) variant has cautioned the&nbsp;authorities globally as it is said to be the most worrying Covid variant since delta because of the&nbsp;large number of mutations. Several countries have already imposed travel bans on some of the southern African nations. Not just international travel, sport also has been impacted. Events in South Africa began to shut down last week due to&nbsp;Omicron as rugby teams and golfers scrambled to leave the country.&nbsp;

Amid the new variant scare, India's tour of South Africa for a three-Test series, followed by three one-day internationals (ODI) and four Twenty20 matches might get pushed back by a week. The Test series is scheduled to start on December 17 in Johannesburg. It is expected that the Indian cricketers will know the decision in the next few days whether the tour will go ahead or not.&nbsp;

It is important to note that India on Thursday (December 2) <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/omicron-in-india-dont-need-fear-says-health-ministry-as-first-2-cases-found-433526">reported two cases</a> of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Both have been reported from India's southern state, Karnataka. Two males, one 66 and the other 46 have tested positive.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-nz-2nd-test-prediction-who-will-win-series-finale-between-india-and-new-zealand-in-mumbai-433524">IND vs NZ, 2nd Test prediction: Who will win series finale between India and New Zealand in Mumbai?</a>

Weighing in on the situation, Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who is returning for the second Test against New Zealand starting Friday (December 3) in Mumbai, said his side were seeking clarity about the SA tour.&nbsp;

Ahead of the second Test against New Zealand, Virat said, "We have spoken to all the senior members of the squad. Obviously, Rahul bhai [head coach Rahul Dravid] has initiated a conversation within the group, which is very important to know."

He added, "At the end of the day we understand - our focus from the Test match will not shift regardless - but you want to have clarity and want to be in a situation where you know exactly what's going on. We've been talking to the board and we are pretty confident that within a day or two, or pretty soon we'll have absolute clarity as to what is going on."

Virat also urged to be "realistic" about things as he said, "We cannot just ignore the things that potentially could put you in a confusing place. And no one wants to be there. I'm sure everyone is working hard towards finding clarity and giving us the situation as it unfolds, as soon as possible."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-tour-of-sa-under-dark-clouds-amid-omicron-scare-likely-to-be-pushed-back-by-a-week-report-433462">India tour of SA under dark clouds amid Omicron scare, likely to be pushed back by a week : Report</a>

"There are players who are not part of the group right now and will be entering quarantine to join the team in the bubble to fly in a charter. Those kinds of things, you want to seek clarity as soon as possible, so we have spoken to all the senior members of the squad," added Kohli.

"It's pretty natural, we are not playing in normal times so there is a lot of planning that is involved, there is a lot of preparation that is involved in understanding what exactly will go on."

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The South African government, on Tuesday, had pledged to take all precautions necessary to keep players safe and praised the "solidarity" of India's cricketers in choosing to continue with the tour. But the Board of Control for Cricket in India has also said it will await a government nod on the Proteas tour before making a final decision.&nbsp;

The spread of the Omicron coronavirus (COVID-19) variant has cautioned the authorities globally as it is said to be the most worrying Covid variant since delta because of the large number of mutations.

The spread of the Omicron coronavirus (COVID-19) variant has cautioned the authorities globally as it is said to be the most worrying Covid variant since delta because of the large number of mutations. Several countries have already imposed travel bans on some of the southern African nations. Not just international travel, sport also has been impacted. Events in South Africa began to shut down last week due to Omicron as rugby teams and golfers scrambled to leave the country. Amid the new variant scare, India's tour of South Africa for a three-Test series, followed by three one-day internationals (ODI) and four Twenty20 matches might get pushed back by a week. The Test series is scheduled to start on December 17 in Johannesburg. It is expected that the Indian cricketers will know the decision in the next few days whether the tour will go ahead or not. It is important to note that India on Thursday (December 2) reported two cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Both have been reported from India's southern state, Karnataka. Two males, one 66 and the other 46 have tested positive. ALSO READ | IND vs NZ, 2nd Test prediction: Who will win series finale between India and New Zealand in Mumbai? Weighing in on the situation, Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who is returning for the second Test against New Zealand starting Friday (December 3) in Mumbai, said his side were seeking clarity about the SA tour. Ahead of the second Test against New Zealand, Virat said, "We have spoken to all the senior members of the squad. Obviously, Rahul bhai [head coach Rahul Dravid] has initiated a conversation within the group, which is very important to know." He added, "At the end of the day we understand - our focus from the Test match will not shift regardless - but you want to have clarity and want to be in a situation where you know exactly what's going on. We've been talking to the board and we are pretty confident that within a day or two, or pretty soon we'll have absolute clarity as to what is going on." Virat also urged to be "realistic" about things as he said, "We cannot just ignore the things that potentially could put you in a confusing place. And no one wants to be there. I'm sure everyone is working hard towards finding clarity and giving us the situation as it unfolds, as soon as possible." ALSO READ | India tour of SA under dark clouds amid Omicron scare, likely to be pushed back by a week : Report "There are players who are not part of the group right now and will be entering quarantine to join the team in the bubble to fly in a charter. Those kinds of things, you want to seek clarity as soon as possible, so we have spoken to all the senior members of the squad," added Kohli. "It's pretty natural, we are not playing in normal times so there is a lot of planning that is involved, there is a lot of preparation that is involved in understanding what exactly will go on." × The South African government, on Tuesday, had pledged to take all precautions necessary to keep players safe and praised the "solidarity" of India's cricketers in choosing to continue with the tour. But the Board of Control for Cricket in India has also said it will await a government nod on the Proteas tour before making a final decision.

Virat Kohli provides update on South Africa tour amid Omicron threat, says players are seeking 'clarity'

Heavily mutated&nbsp;Omicron&nbsp;is rapidly becoming the dominant variant of the coronavirus in&nbsp;South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;less than four weeks after it was first detected there, and the United States on Wednesday&nbsp;became the latest country to identify an&nbsp;Omicron&nbsp;case within its borders.

The first known US case was a fully vaccinated person in California who returned to the United States from&nbsp;South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;on Nov. 22 and tested positive seven&nbsp;days later.

The person had mild symptoms and was in self-quarantine, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top US&nbsp;infectious disease official, told reporters at the White House.

Late on Tuesday, airlines in the United States were told to hand over the names of passengers arriving from parts of&nbsp;southern&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;hit by&nbsp;Omicron, according to a US&nbsp;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention letter seen by Reuters.

Key questions remain about the&nbsp;new&nbsp;variant, which has been found in two dozen countries, including Spain, Canada, Britain, Austria and Portugal. The UAE reported its first case on Wednesday, the second Gulf country after Saudi Arabia.

Early indications suggesting&nbsp;Omicron&nbsp;may be markedly more contagious than previous variants have rattled financial markets, fearful that&nbsp;new&nbsp;restrictions could choke off a tentative recovery from the economic ravages of the pandemic.

South&nbsp;Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said early epidemiological data suggested Omicron&nbsp;was able to evade some immunity, but existing vaccines should still protect against severe disease and death.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-california-reports-the-first-us-case-of-the-omicron-variant-433391">Also read |&nbsp;COVID-19: California reports the first US case of the Omicron variant</a>

It said 74% of all the virus genomes it had sequenced last month had been of the&nbsp;new&nbsp;variant, which was first found in a sample taken on Nov. 8 in Gauteng,&nbsp;South&nbsp;Africa's most populous province.

The number of&nbsp;new&nbsp;cases&nbsp;reported in&nbsp;South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;doubled from Tuesday&nbsp;to Wednesday.

World Health Organization (WHO) epidemiologist Maria van Kerkhove told a briefing that data on how contagious&nbsp;Omicron&nbsp;was should be available "within&nbsp;days."

BioNTech's CEO said the vaccine it makes in a partnership with Pfizer was likely to offer strong protection against severe disease from&nbsp;Omicron.

'PREPARE FOR THE WORST'

The president of the European Union's executive body said there was a "race against time" to stave off the&nbsp;new&nbsp;variant while scientists establish how dangerous it is. The EU brought forward the start of its vaccine rollout for 5-to-11-year-olds by a week to Dec. 13.

"Prepare for the worst, hope for the best," Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, told a&nbsp;news conference.

She said that full vaccination and a booster shot provided the strongest possible protection, according to scientists - a view echoed by Fauci.

But WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan criticised developed countries pushing booster shots for large parts of their fully vaccinated populations when vulnerable people in many poorer regions have had no vaccination at all.

"There is no evidence that I'm aware of that will suggest that boosting the entire population is going to necessarily provide any greater protection for otherwise healthy individuals against hospitalisation or death," he said.

Britain and the United States have both expanded their booster programs in response to the&nbsp;new&nbsp;variant.

The WHO has noted many times that the coronavirus will keep producing&nbsp;new&nbsp;variants for as long as it is allowed to circulate freely in large unvaccinated populations.

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

Some 56 countries were reportedly implementing travel measures to guard against&nbsp;Omicron&nbsp;as of Nov. 28, the WHO said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres slammed what he called "travel apartheid."

"Blanket travel bans will not prevent the international spread and they place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods," the WHO said&nbsp;while advising those who were unwell, at risk, or 60 years and over and unvaccinated to postpone travel.

The United States has barred nearly all foreigners who have been in one of eight&nbsp;southern&nbsp;African countries.

Hong Kong added Japan, Portugal and Sweden to its travel restrictions. Malaysia temporarily barred travelers from eight&nbsp;African countries and said Britain and the Netherlands could join the list.

Fitch Ratings said it lowered its global air passenger traffic forecasts for 2021 and 2022.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-uk-approves-gsk-covid-drug-appears-effective-against-omicron-433212">Also read |&nbsp;LIVE: UK approves GSK Covid drug, appears effective against Omicron</a>

"It feels a little bit like we are back to where we were a year ago," said Deidre Fulton, a partner at consultancy MIDAS Aviation, at an industry webinar. "And that's not a great prospect for the industry and beyond."

Wall Street's major averages fell more than 1% on Wednesday, erasing morning gains, on investor angst over the first U.S. case, along with concerns about inflation. Crude oil prices also fell.

Fauci said it could take two weeks or more to gain insight into how easily the variant spreads from person to person, how severe the disease is that it causes, and whether it can bypass the protections provided by the vaccines currently available.

"We don't have enough information right now," said Fauci, adding that the variant's molecular profile "suggests that it might be more transmissible, and that it might elude some of the protection of vaccines. ... We have to be prepared that there's going to be a diminution in protection."

Heavily mutated Omicron is rapidly becoming the dominant variant of the coronavirus in South Africa less than four weeks after it was first detected there, and the United States on Wednesday became the latest country to identify an Omicron case within its borders.

Heavily mutated Omicron is rapidly becoming the dominant variant of the coronavirus in South Africa less than four weeks after it was first detected there, and the United States on Wednesday became the latest country to identify an Omicron case within its borders. The first known US case was a fully vaccinated person in California who returned to the United States from South Africa on Nov. 22 and tested positive seven days later. The person had mild symptoms and was in self-quarantine, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease official, told reporters at the White House. Late on Tuesday, airlines in the United States were told to hand over the names of passengers arriving from parts of southern Africa hit by Omicron, according to a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention letter seen by Reuters. Key questions remain about the new variant, which has been found in two dozen countries, including Spain, Canada, Britain, Austria and Portugal. The UAE reported its first case on Wednesday, the second Gulf country after Saudi Arabia. Early indications suggesting Omicron may be markedly more contagious than previous variants have rattled financial markets, fearful that new restrictions could choke off a tentative recovery from the economic ravages of the pandemic. South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said early epidemiological data suggested Omicron was able to evade some immunity, but existing vaccines should still protect against severe disease and death. Also read | COVID-19: California reports the first US case of the Omicron variant It said 74% of all the virus genomes it had sequenced last month had been of the new variant, which was first found in a sample taken on Nov. 8 in Gauteng, South Africa's most populous province. The number of new cases reported in South Africa doubled from Tuesday to Wednesday. World Health Organization (WHO) epidemiologist Maria van Kerkhove told a briefing that data on how contagious Omicron was should be available "within days." BioNTech's CEO said the vaccine it makes in a partnership with Pfizer was likely to offer strong protection against severe disease from Omicron. 'PREPARE FOR THE WORST' The president of the European Union's executive body said there was a "race against time" to stave off the new variant while scientists establish how dangerous it is. The EU brought forward the start of its vaccine rollout for 5-to-11-year-olds by a week to Dec. 13. "Prepare for the worst, hope for the best," Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, told a news conference. She said that full vaccination and a booster shot provided the strongest possible protection, according to scientists - a view echoed by Fauci. But WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan criticised developed countries pushing booster shots for large parts of their fully vaccinated populations when vulnerable people in many poorer regions have had no vaccination at all. "There is no evidence that I'm aware of that will suggest that boosting the entire population is going to necessarily provide any greater protection for otherwise healthy individuals against hospitalisation or death," he said. Britain and the United States have both expanded their booster programs in response to the new variant. The WHO has noted many times that the coronavirus will keep producing new variants for as long as it is allowed to circulate freely in large unvaccinated populations. TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS Some 56 countries were reportedly implementing travel measures to guard against Omicron as of Nov. 28, the WHO said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres slammed what he called "travel apartheid." "Blanket travel bans will not prevent the international spread and they place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods," the WHO said while advising those who were unwell, at risk, or 60 years and over and unvaccinated to postpone travel. The United States has barred nearly all foreigners who have been in one of eight southern African countries. Hong Kong added Japan, Portugal and Sweden to its travel restrictions. Malaysia temporarily barred travelers from eight African countries and said Britain and the Netherlands could join the list. Fitch Ratings said it lowered its global air passenger traffic forecasts for 2021 and 2022. Also read | LIVE: UK approves GSK Covid drug, appears effective against Omicron "It feels a little bit like we are back to where we were a year ago," said Deidre Fulton, a partner at consultancy MIDAS Aviation, at an industry webinar. "And that's not a great prospect for the industry and beyond." Wall Street's major averages fell more than 1% on Wednesday, erasing morning gains, on investor angst over the first U.S. case, along with concerns about inflation. Crude oil prices also fell. Fauci said it could take two weeks or more to gain insight into how easily the variant spreads from person to person, how severe the disease is that it causes, and whether it can bypass the protections provided by the vaccines currently available. "We don't have enough information right now," said Fauci, adding that the variant's molecular profile "suggests that it might be more transmissible, and that it might elude some of the protection of vaccines. ... We have to be prepared that there's going to be a diminution in protection."

New Covid variant Omicron rapidly dominating in South Africa

Team India have quite a few cricketing assignments lined-up in the near future. Soon after the conclusion of the New Zealand Tests at home, Virat Kohli-led India are scheduled to travel to South Africa for an all-format tour. However, there are now dark clouds over the SA tour due to the Omicron threat. The new Covid variant has cast its spell worldwide as there is panic and uncertainty. Hence, travel restrictions might be imposed once again on a large scale globally.

Talking about the SA tour, BCCI and Cricket South Africa (CSA) are constantly in touch and are continuously monitoring the situation. While both the boards had expressed their confidence of the tour to go on as per schedule, there are reports that it might be postponed by a week.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indias-tour-of-south-africa-on-as-of-now-we-have-time-to-decide-reveals-bcci-chief-sourav-ganguly-433237">India’s tour of South Africa on as of now, we have time to decide, reveals BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly</a>

A BCCI official, on Thursday (December 2), confirmed to ANI that both boards are in constant touch and soon a decision will be taken keeping the safety of players in mind.

"We are discussing to push back the series by a week due to the threat of Omicron COVID variant and we are awaiting the Indian government nod, both boards are in constant touch and everything is being discussed. The health and safety of our players is of utmost importance," the senior official told ANI.&nbsp;

Earlier, Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports had made it clear that the Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI need to consult the Indian government before sending the national side to the rainbow nation, where a new COVID-19 variant has already emerged.

"Not only BCCI, but every board should also consult the Indian government before sending the team to a country where a new COVID-19 variant has emerged. It is not right to send the team to a country where there is a threat, if BCCI consults us we will deliberate on that," Thakur had told ANI.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-awaits-governments-approval-for-sa-tour-amid-omicron-scare-series-might-be-rescheduled-report-433158">BCCI awaits government's approval for SA tour amid Omicron scare, series might be rescheduled: Report</a>

For the unverved, Kohli-led India's&nbsp;tour of South Africa is scheduled to&nbsp;commence on December 17. The tour comprises three Tests, three ODIs and four T20Is. India's last visit to South Africa was in early 2018 where they lost the Tests but won the limited-overs series.

The final decision regarding the tour will be out soon.

Team India have quite a few cricketing assignments lined-up in the near future. Soon after the conclusion of the New Zealand Tests at home, Virat Kohli-led India are scheduled to travel to South Africa for an all-format tour.

Team India have quite a few cricketing assignments lined-up in the near future. Soon after the conclusion of the New Zealand Tests at home, Virat Kohli-led India are scheduled to travel to South Africa for an all-format tour. However, there are now dark clouds over the SA tour due to the Omicron threat. The new Covid variant has cast its spell worldwide as there is panic and uncertainty. Hence, travel restrictions might be imposed once again on a large scale globally. Talking about the SA tour, BCCI and Cricket South Africa (CSA) are constantly in touch and are continuously monitoring the situation. While both the boards had expressed their confidence of the tour to go on as per schedule, there are reports that it might be postponed by a week. ALSO READ | India’s tour of South Africa on as of now, we have time to decide, reveals BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly A BCCI official, on Thursday (December 2), confirmed to ANI that both boards are in constant touch and soon a decision will be taken keeping the safety of players in mind. "We are discussing to push back the series by a week due to the threat of Omicron COVID variant and we are awaiting the Indian government nod, both boards are in constant touch and everything is being discussed. The health and safety of our players is of utmost importance," the senior official told ANI. Earlier, Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports had made it clear that the Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI need to consult the Indian government before sending the national side to the rainbow nation, where a new COVID-19 variant has already emerged. "Not only BCCI, but every board should also consult the Indian government before sending the team to a country where a new COVID-19 variant has emerged. It is not right to send the team to a country where there is a threat, if BCCI consults us we will deliberate on that," Thakur had told ANI. ALSO READ | BCCI awaits government's approval for SA tour amid Omicron scare, series might be rescheduled: Report For the unverved, Kohli-led India's tour of South Africa is scheduled to commence on December 17. The tour comprises three Tests, three ODIs and four T20Is. India's last visit to South Africa was in early 2018 where they lost the Tests but won the limited-overs series. The final decision regarding the tour will be out soon.

India tour of SA under dark clouds amid Omicron scare, likely to be pushed back by a week : Report

The Covid variant Omicron was present in the Netherlands a week before two flights arrived from South Africa carrying the virus, the Dutch health authorities said on Tuesday.

“We have found the Omicron coronavirus variant in two test samples that were taken on November 19 and November 23. It is not clear yet whether these people have visited Southern Africa," the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-omicron-variant-causing-mild-disease-says-south-african-medical-association-slams-hype-432552">Covid: Omicron variant causing mild disease, says South African Medical Association, slams hype&nbsp;</a>

At least 14 people on flights from Johannesburg and Capetown arrived at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport on November 26 carrying the new variant, RIVM&nbsp;said, adding that the people had been informed and municipal health services had now started contact investigations.

South Africa first reported the new strain to the World Health Organization on November 24.

Earlier, the first cases in the Netherlands was believed to be the 14 Omicron infections on two KLM flights from South Africa that arrived in Amsterdam on November 26.

"In the coming period, various studies will be conducted into the distribution of the Omicron variant in the Netherlands," the institute said, adding that it would re-examine more samples from previous tests.

Watch |&nbsp;Omicron covid variant found in Europe before South Africa

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/omicron-covid-variant-found-in-europe-before-south-africa-433120/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The airline passengers with Omicron, who were among 61 travellers on the two South Africa flights that tested positive for Covid, are currently in quarantine.

In addition to the Netherlands, other European countries, including Belgium and Germany, have also reported cases of the new strain before it was officially notified by South Africa to the World Health Organization on November 24.

"We found two additional cases of Omicron variant which have been sampled on the 19th and 23rd of November," RIVM infectious diseases chief Aura Timen told AFP.

"So that points at the presence already of this variant in the Netherlands."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/moderna-says-current-vaccines-not-effective-against-the-omicron-variant-432697">Moderna says current vaccines not effective against the Omicron variant</a>

As of now, the Netherlands has confirmed 16 cases of the new strain, the highest number in Europe.

However, as Timen pointed out, it was likely that other countries will repeat the Dutch situation when they retest samples for Omicron cases.

"I don't think that we are in an exceptional situation or exceptional risk at this point," Timen said.

"The moment a new variant emerges and is announced, probably the variant is already spread all over the world."

In Belgium, the first European country to report the presence of the new strain, a case was detected on November 22 and developed symptoms 11 days after travelling to Egypt via Turkey.

Meanwhile, Germany has confirmed that a person who tested positive for the variant arrived at the Frankfurt airport on November 21.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Covid variant Omicron was present in the Netherlands a week before two flights arrived from South Africa carrying the virus, the Dutch health authorities said on Tuesday.

The Covid variant Omicron was present in the Netherlands a week before two flights arrived from South Africa carrying the virus, the Dutch health authorities said on Tuesday. “We have found the Omicron coronavirus variant in two test samples that were taken on November 19 and November 23. It is not clear yet whether these people have visited Southern Africa," the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said. Also read | Covid: Omicron variant causing mild disease, says South African Medical Association, slams hype At least 14 people on flights from Johannesburg and Capetown arrived at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport on November 26 carrying the new variant, RIVM said, adding that the people had been informed and municipal health services had now started contact investigations. South Africa first reported the new strain to the World Health Organization on November 24. Earlier, the first cases in the Netherlands was believed to be the 14 Omicron infections on two KLM flights from South Africa that arrived in Amsterdam on November 26. "In the coming period, various studies will be conducted into the distribution of the Omicron variant in the Netherlands," the institute said, adding that it would re-examine more samples from previous tests. Watch | Omicron covid variant found in Europe before South Africa The airline passengers with Omicron, who were among 61 travellers on the two South Africa flights that tested positive for Covid, are currently in quarantine. In addition to the Netherlands, other European countries, including Belgium and Germany, have also reported cases of the new strain before it was officially notified by South Africa to the World Health Organization on November 24. "We found two additional cases of Omicron variant which have been sampled on the 19th and 23rd of November," RIVM infectious diseases chief Aura Timen told AFP. "So that points at the presence already of this variant in the Netherlands." Also read | Moderna says current vaccines not effective against the Omicron variant As of now, the Netherlands has confirmed 16 cases of the new strain, the highest number in Europe. However, as Timen pointed out, it was likely that other countries will repeat the Dutch situation when they retest samples for Omicron cases. "I don't think that we are in an exceptional situation or exceptional risk at this point," Timen said. "The moment a new variant emerges and is announced, probably the variant is already spread all over the world." In Belgium, the first European country to report the presence of the new strain, a case was detected on November 22 and developed symptoms 11 days after travelling to Egypt via Turkey. Meanwhile, Germany has confirmed that a person who tested positive for the variant arrived at the Frankfurt airport on November 21. (With inputs from agencies)

Netherlands, Belgium, Germany had Omicron cases a week before S.Africa identified the Coronavirus variant

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