2.34pm EST14:34
Good evening, I am Tom Ambrose and will be bringing you the latest Covid news from the UK and around the world this evening.
Let’s start with some more reaction to that first Omicron case discovered in the United States earlier today.
Dr Anthony Fauci told reporters that the person was a traveler who returned from South Africa on 22 November and tested positive on 29 November. Fauci said the person was vaccinated but had not received a booster shot and was experiencing “mild symptoms.”
The Biden administration moved late last month to restrict travel from Southern Africa where the variant was first identified and had been widespread. Clusters of cases have also been identified in about two dozen other nations.
“We knew that it was just a matter of time before the first case of omicron would be detected in the United States,” Fauci said.
He said the person was improving and added, “I think what’s happening now is another example of why it’s important for people to get vaccinated. But also boosting. Boosting is very important.”
Officials said they had contacted everyone who had close contact with the person and they had all tested negative.
2.16pm EST14:16
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The first confirmed case of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in the United States has been identified in California.
The identification by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) comes as scientists continue to study the risks posed by the new variant of the virus.
The Biden administration moved late last month to restrict travel from southern Africa, where the variant was first identified, and had been widespread. Clusters of cases have also been identified in about two dozen other nations.
The CDC is moving to tighten US testing rules for travelers from overseas, including requiring a test for all travelers within a day of boarding a flight to the US regardless of vaccination status. It was also considering mandating post-arrival testing.
Officials said those measures would only “buy time” for the country to learn more about the new variant and to take appropriate precautions, but that given its transmissibility its arrival in the US was inevitable.
The dominant variant in the US is still the Delta strain, which emerged and spread across the country over summer.
1.57pm EST13:57
Summary
It’s been a very busy day on the Covid blog as countries respond to the emergence of the Omicron variant. Here’s all the main stories:
- A major World Health Organization press conference urged countries to prioritise getting the unvaccinated vaccinated, both nationally and globally, rather than boosters. Officials said data on the transmissibility of Omicron is expected “within days”, and urged caution in implementing extreme measures such as travel bans and lockdowns while the picture remains uncertain.
- The UN condemned the travel bans implemented in response to Omicron as “unfair, punitive and ineffective”
- The US, Norway, Ghana and South Korea identified their first Omicron cases
- President of the European Commision, Ursula von der Leyen, said the EU should consider making vaccines mandatory after Greece introduced a fine for those over 60 who refuse to get jabbed
- France and the US increased travel restrictions, while Vietnam said it would suspend flights from several southern African countries.
- Botswana, one of the first countries to detect Omicron, said nearly all the cases identified so far were mild
That’s it from me for today, thanks for following the blog. I’m handing over to Tom Ambrose now who’ll keep watch on the latest Covid developments throughout the evening.
