Countries where the Omicron variant has been detected
Researchers worldwide are racing to understand the full impact of the new strain, and governments have banned travelers from South Africa and nearby countries on concerns omicron could evade the protection of vaccines and fuel new surges
Covid-19's Omicron variant, first identified in South Africa, has been detected in locations from Australia to Germany and Canada, showing the difficulties of curtailing new strains.
Most infections stem from travelers carrying the disease across borders. Israel, for instance, said a confirmed case who arrived from Malawi rode on a bus from Tel Aviv. Italy's first case traveled around the country for days before testing positive, reports Bloomberg.
The World Health Organisation on Friday designated Omicron a "variant of concern" just days after the variant was first reported.
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Many questions remain, including whether Omicron will evade vaccine protection and whether it will cause more serious illness. As scientists race to understand the consequences of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, many countries have already imposed travel restrictions to curb the spread of this variant of the Covid-19.
Countries where the Omicron variant has been detected till now:
South Africa
Early samples of PCR tests showed that 90% of 1,100 new cases reported midweek in the South African province that includes Johannesburg were caused by the new variant.
Botswana
At least 19 cases were detected.
UK
At least three confirmed cases linked to travel in South Africa; the BBC reported six cases in Scotland.
Germany
Two cases in travelers who arrived at Munich airport from South Africa, AFP reported, citing regional officials.
Netherlands
13 cases were detected among travelers from South Africa.
Denmark
Two cases in passengers arriving from South Africa.
Belgium
One case.
Israel
One confirmed case and a few suspected ones as of 27 November.
Italy
One case, the person moved around the country before testing positive.
Czech Republic
One case, according to local media.
Hong Kong
Two cases in quarantine hotel.
Australia
Two cases in Australia's New South Wales state. Both carriers had traveled from South Africa.
Canada
Two cases were reported from travelers who had recently traveled from Nigeria.
Austria
One confirmed case in Tyrol from a person arriving from South Africa. Authorities reviewing another 30 suspected cases.
Switzerland
One suspected case from a person who entered around a week ago from South Africa.
France
Eight suspected cases
Portugal
Preliminary tests of 13 cases "strongly" suggest they're all related to the omicron variant. One of the cases involves a person who had a recent trip to South Africa.
