The member nations of the EU have experienced a massive spike in cases recently.ĮU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said flights will have to “be suspended until we have a clear understanding about the danger posed by this new variant, and travelers returning from this region should respect strict quarantine rules.” “The last thing we need is to bring in a new variant that will cause even more problems,” German Health Minister Jens Spahn said. The S&P 500 index was down 2.3%, on pace for its worst day since February. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 1,000 points. The 27-nation European Union imposed a temporary ban on air travel from southern Africa, and stocks tumbled in Asia, Europe and the United States. Some previous variants, like the beta variant, initially concerned scientists but did not spread very far. The WHO panel drew from the Greek alphabet in naming the variant omicron, as it has done with earlier, major variants of the virus.Įven though some of the genetic changes appear worrisome, it was unclear if the new variant would pose a significant public health threat. As with other variants, some infected people display no symptoms, South African experts said. There was no immediate indication whether the variant causes more severe disease. “We must move quickly and at the earliest possible moment,” British Health Secretary Sajid Javid told lawmakers. But a jittery world feared the worst nearly two years after COVID-19 emerged and triggered a pandemic that has killed more than 5 million people around the globe. Medical experts, including the WHO, warned against any overreaction before the variant that originated in southern Africa was better understood. citizens or permanent residents, who will continue to be required to test negative before their travel. It did not give details except to say the restrictions will not apply to returning U.S. will restrict travel from South Africa and seven other countries in the region beginning Monday. In response, the United States joined the European Union and several other countries in instituting travel restrictions on visitors from southern Africa. The panel said early evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection. BRUSSELS (AP) - The discovery of a new coronavirus variant sent a chill through much of the world Friday as nations raced to halt air travel, markets fell sharply and scientists held emergency meetings to weigh the exact risks, which were largely unknown.Ī World Health Organization panel named the variant “omicron” and classified it as a highly transmissible virus of concern, the same category that includes the delta variant, the world’s most prevalent.
0 kommentar(er)
