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Dozens Of Covid Cases On Flights From South Africa, Say Dutch Authorities

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Dozens Of Covid Cases On Flights From South Africa, Say Dutch Authorities" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-11/dbek9l0k_netherlands-covid-testing-airport_625x300_27_November_21.jpg" title="Dozens Of Covid Cases On Flights From South Africa, Say Dutch Authorities" /></div>
Passengers already en route to the Netherlands have to undergo testing and quarantine upon arrival.
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Amsterdam:
Dutch health authorities said that dozens of people who arrived in Amsterdam on two flights from South Africa on Friday are likely infected with COVID-19, and they are conducting further testing to see if people are infected with the recently discovered Omicron coronavirus variant.
Around 600 passengers arrived at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on the two KLM flights on Friday and then faced hours of delays and testing due to concerns over the new virus variant. On the basis of initial testing, the Dutch health ministry estimated there may be around 85 positive cases among the passengers.
"Travelers with a positive test result will be placed in isolation at a hotel at or near Schiphol," health authorities said in a statement.
"Of the positive test results, we are researching as quickly as possible whether they are the new variant of concern, now named 'Omicron'."
The Dutch government banned all air travel from southern Africa early on Friday. Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said that passengers already en route to the Netherlands would have to undergo testing and quarantine upon arrival.
Passengers on the two KLM flights, from Cape Town and Johannesburg, said they were kept waiting on the tarmac for hours.
"Vigorous applause because there is a BUS that has come to take us ... somewhere," tweeted New York Times journalist Stephanie Nolen, a passenger on the flight from Johannesburg.
"Bus to a hall to a huge queue. I can see COVID testers in bright blue PPE far on the distance. Still no snacks for the sad babies," she added in a second tweet.
A spokesperson for the health authorities in Kennemerland, the Dutch region that oversees Schiphol, said the positive cases were being analysed by a Dutch academic medical hospital to determine whether they are the new strain.
The Dutch government separately on Friday announced the nighttime closure of bars, restaurants and most stores as it grapples with a record-breaking wave of COVID-19 cases that is swamping its healthcare system.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
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news world Dozens Of Covid Cases On Flights From South Africa, Say Dutch Authorities

Passengers already en route to the Netherlands have to undergo testing and quarantine upon arrival. Amsterdam: Dutch health authorities said that dozens of people who arrived in Amsterdam on two flights from South Africa on Friday are likely infecte…

Online Shopping Spend Soars Even Before Retailers Open On 'Black Friday'

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Online Shopping Spend Soars Even Before Retailers Open On 'Black Friday'" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2019-11/t719l668_black-friday_625x300_27_November_19.jpg" title="Online Shopping Spend Soars Even Before Retailers Open On 'Black Friday'" /></div>
Black Friday, kicking off the holiday shopping season, is the day after Thanksgiving (Representational)
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New York:
Americans returned to stores for the "Black Friday" kickoff of the holiday shopping season, but online data shows that consumers have been spending big for weeks amid worries over shortages.
The day after the US Thanksgiving celebration is the traditional start to the holiday shopping season, and normally sees Americans line up outside stores before they open to clinch deals on popular items.
After the pandemic kept crowds away last year, many shoppers were out in force Friday, a sign of how Covid-19 vaccines have returned life in the United States to something closer to normal.
"I just wanted to make sure that this Christmas was a good Christmas for all my friends and family," said a masked Sylvia Gonzalez as she waited in line line outside the jewelry chain Pandora in New York.
But even before retailers opened their doors early Friday morning, e-commerce shoppers in the United States had already spent $76 billion since early November, up more than 20 percent from the year-ago period, according to data from software company Adobe, which has projected somewhat fewer promotions this year in light of rising costs.
The jump has added to companies' optimism about the season, suggesting some shoppers heeded calls from businesses to purchase items early this year after port backlogs and other logistics problems sparked worries that popular goods would be in short supply.
Toys led the buying spree, with Adobe pointing to actions by "anxious parents increasingly aware of supply chain challenges."
The National Retail Federation projects overall spending could rise as much as 10.5 percent to $859 billion.
Nonetheless, out-of-stock listings online are up 261 percent compared with two years ago, according to Adobe.
Item in hand
Retailers and market watchers are broadly optimistic about the holiday shopping season in light of low unemployment and relatively strong household finances due in part to pandemic stimulus bills enacted by the government.
Countering those positive trends are lingering supply chain problems, spiking consumer prices that have affected household staples such as food and fuel, and the Covid-19 pandemic, which is still far from over.
On Friday, stock markets worldwide tumbled on worries that the latest strain of the virus found in South Africa could derail the global recovery.
Reminders of the pandemic were visible throughout shopping districts in the New York borough of Manhattan.
Signs at Macy's reminded customers to keep six feet apart and pop-up Covid-19 testing sites were positioned outside stores where mostly masked crowds were large, but not as sizeable as before the pandemic.
"In 2018, it was more like the New York you heard of," said German tourist Ilke Zienteck. "Now, it's a little bit like a small town."
Still, the hum of customers inside shops suggested that many had adjusted to the "new normal" of pandemic living.
There were obvious gaps at some stores. At a Best Buy near Grand Central Station, a shelf of Apple accessories was almost completely empty, while the camera bags section had few remaining offerings.
Other chains like Victoria's Secret and Foot Locker have acknowledged shortages of some choice products.
Taylor Schreiner, a digital research expert at Adobe, expects more consumers to order online and pay for expedited shipping, or pick up goods at stores.
"It's not just because people want it quickly," he said in an interview. "Having the item in hand is the surest way to have the gift for the person."
January glut?
An emerging worry in the industry is that retailers will be stuck with goods originally intended for the holidays but that don't arrive until January.
Macy's is generally canceling orders for items with a Christmas motif, but plans to keep other items if they are cold-weather-oriented and could sell later in the winter, executives said earlier this month.
Gap Chief Financial Officer Katrina O'Connell said the apparel chain was planning to hold some items for next winter.
"If we think items are going to be too late for the holiday season, we won't put them in stores or online and have them generate markdowns," she said earlier this week on a conference call with Wall Street analysts. "We'll hold them for next year."
Gap has been one of the companies hardest hit by supply chain problems due to lengthy factory shutdowns in Vietnam caused by the country's Covid-19 restrictions, which contributed to a loss of some $300 million in sales in the most recent quarter.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/online-shopping-spend-soars-even-before-retailers-open-on-us-black-friday-2626784">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/online-shopping-spend-soars-even-before-retailers-open-on-us-black-friday-2626784</a>

news world Online Shopping Spend Soars Even Before Retailers Open On 'Black Friday'

Black Friday, kicking off the holiday shopping season, is the day after Thanksgiving (Representational) New York: Americans returned to stores for the "Black Friday" kickoff of the holiday shopping season, but online data shows that consumers have b…

Australia Imposes Travel Curbs On 9 Southern African Nations Over Omicron Strain

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Australia Imposes Travel Curbs On 9 Southern African Nations Over Omicron Strain" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-10/f3lbcu2_australia-covid-travel-reuters_625x300_01_October_21.jpg" title="Australia Imposes Travel Curbs On 9 Southern African Nations Over Omicron Strain" /></div>
Australia will also suspend all flights from nine southern African countries for two weeks. (File)
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Melbourne:
Australian on Saturday imposed new restrictions on people who have been in nine southern African countries, as the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 raises concerns about a further wave of the pandemic.
The countries are South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, the Seychelles, Malawi and Mozambique.
Effective immediately, the government will ban non-citizens who have been in those countries from entering and will require supervised 14-day quarantines for Australian citizens and their dependents returning from the countries, said Health Minister Greg Hunt.
These restrictions also apply to people such as international students and skilled migrants arriving from countries with which Australia has travel bubbles, who have been in any of the nine countries within the past 14 days.
"If the medical evidence shows that further actions are required, we will not hesitate to take them. And that may involve strengthening or expanding the restrictions," he said.
Anyone who has already arrived in Australia and who has been in any of those countries within the past 14 days must immediately isolate and be tested.
The Australian government will also suspend all flights from the nine southern African countries for two weeks.
Twenty travellers from South Africa are in quarantine in the Northern Territory's Howard Springs facility, 19 of whom have returned negative coronavirus tests. It is not yet known if the one positive test result is the Omicron variant, Hunt said.
The discovery of the variant - which has a spike protein dramatically different from the one that existing vaccines are based on - triggered global alarm on Friday as countries rushed to suspend travel from southern Africa and stock markets suffered their biggest falls in more than a year.
Australia early this month eased its international border restrictions for the first time during the pandemic allowing fully vaccinated residents to return to the country without quarantine after higher vaccination levels.
Australia had largely stamped out infections for most of this year until an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant in late June spread rapidly across its east. About 205,000 cases and 1,985 deaths have been recorded so far, lower than many other countries in the developed world.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/new-coronavirus-variant-australia-imposes-travel-curbs-on-9-southern-african-nations-over-omicron-covid-strain-2626708">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/new-coronavirus-variant-australia-imposes-travel-curbs-on-9-southern-african-nations-over-omicron-covid-strain-2626708</a>

news world Australia Imposes Travel Curbs On 9 Southern African Nations Over Omicron Strain

Australia will also suspend all flights from nine southern African countries for two weeks. (File) Melbourne: Australian on Saturday imposed new restrictions on people who have been in nine southern African countries, as the new Omicron variant of C…

Travel Bans, Snap Defences Buy Time As Scientists Race To Decode Omicron

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Travel Bans, Snap Defences Buy Time As Scientists Race To Decode Omicron" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-11/37s9redk_covid-travel_625x300_27_November_21.jpg" title="Travel Bans, Snap Defences Buy Time As Scientists Race To Decode Omicron" /></div>
The impact the new variant will have on vaccines could become clear relatively soon
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Travel bans and other snap defenses that countries threw up against omicron, the new Covid-19 variant, are buying time for scientists to answer key questions that could prevent another wave of deaths.
Labs in Europe, the U.S. and Africa are preparing for tests to see how the new variant is likely to behave in people who've been vaccinated or previously infected. Real-world research will be important too, as health authorities monitor the outbreak in South Africa closely to find out how much more transmissible the new variant will be as it spreads and whether it's more dangerous or deadly.
The questions will take weeks to answer, scientists and policy makers said Friday. The search for understanding starts in the variant's dramatic pattern of 50 mutations, more than 30 of which are on the virus's spike protein, which is the weapon Covid-19 uses to invade victims' cells. It will continue via lab work and finally in observations of illness and transmission patterns in real life.
What's clear so far is that a constellation of mutations has come together that may make omicron spread more quickly, said Wendy Barclay, head of the department of infectious disease at Imperial College London.
"Taken together on paper, it's very biologically plausible that this virus has increased transmissibility," Barclay said in a briefing Friday. Researchers must apply the knowledge they've gained in more than a year of intense study of the virus, she said. "That's where you start, and then you try and back up that sort of approach by looking at the epidemiology and the laboratory-based studies."
Wily Virus
The first job of a virus is survival in its hosts, and nature has programmed them to shift shapes. SARS-CoV-2 has been mutating and changing since it was first identified, with the first variant of concern -- alpha -- designated in December 2020. Omicron, previously known as B.1.1.529, is the fifth variant of concern the World Health Organization has named.
Omicron may have a growth advantage over the others, however, because it's been found at faster rates than in previous surges, the WHO said on Friday. It may also pose a greater risk of reinfection than other variants of concern, the WHO said.
There are hints in omicron's spread in South Africa that it may be more transmissible, said Sharon Peacock, a professor of public health and microbiology at the University of Cambridge who also heads the Covid-19 Genomics U.K. consortium. "When the Ministry of Health saw the numbers were doubling every day, the question that they asked was, 'Well, where are these cases coming from?'"
Those questions and the quick surveillance by South Africa and its neighbors may have put the rest of the world in a position to buy more time than was possible when the delta variant was emerging in India, said Jeffrey Barrett, director of the Covid-19 Genomics Initiative at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the U.K.
"They found this, understood that it was a problem and told the world extremely fast," Barrett said. "It took many, many weeks into India's extremely terrible wave before it became clear what was going on, and by that point delta had already seeded itself in many parts of the world."
Knowledge Sprint
The impact the new variant will have on vaccines could become clear relatively soon. BioNTech SE, which works with Pfizer Inc. on the world's best-selling Covid vaccine, said it's beginning lab studies on the variant and should have the first data on how it interacts with the vaccine within two weeks.
BioNTech and Pfizer have long promised that they'll be able to roll out a new version of their vaccine within 100 days if necessary.
Moderna Inc. is also studying how well its current vaccine booster dose neutralizes omicron, with data likely in the coming weeks. The company said on Friday that it is also working on a high-dose version of the booster, new multivalent boosters and a new booster specific to omicron. Moderna said it is typically able to get new experimental vaccines into testing in 60 to 90 days.
Mutations may also help omicron elude the antibody treatments, such as Roche Holding AG and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s Ronapreve, that have become a mainstay of therapy for people who can't muster an adequate immune response on their own, ICL's Barclay and other scientists said.
Roche's researchers are studying the new variant, said spokesman Karsten Kleine, and it's too early to say how it will interact with the antibody cocktail.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc, which markets a Covid antibody with Vir Biotechnology Inc., said it believes its antibody will probably work against the variant because it targets part of the spike protein that's shared among many different, distantly related coronaviruses. The company is working urgently to confirm that in the lab, it said in a statement.
Antiviral Arsenal
Even if the new variant resists vaccines and monoclonal antibodies, doctors won't be out of weapons.
Antivirals such as the experimental pill being developed by Pfizer Inc. will probably still work, Barclay said.
That's because of the way those pills act in the body. Instead of targeting the virus's spike protein, as vaccines and other treatments do, they attack in different way to prevent the virus from multiplying. That makes the new variant's spike-protein mutations less likely to resist the pills.
"There are no mutations that would signal a change in susceptibility," Barclay said.
The antivirals aren't approved for use yet. Pfizer on Nov. 16 filed for an emergency-use authorization for the medicine in the U.S.; a similar review began in the European Union three days later.
A second pill, from Merck & Co., ran into a hurdle after trial results showed it was less effective than had been thought. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff raised questions about whether it could cause birth defects, bone and cartilage toxicity and genetic mutations. A panel of FDA advisers will meet Tuesday to review the pill.
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/omicron-travel-bans-snap-defences-buy-time-as-scientists-race-to-decode-new-covid-variant-2626702">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/omicron-travel-bans-snap-defences-buy-time-as-scientists-race-to-decode-new-covid-variant-2626702</a>

news world Travel Bans, Snap Defences Buy Time As Scientists Race To Decode Omicron

The impact the new variant will have on vaccines could become clear relatively soon Travel bans and other snap defenses that countries threw up against omicron, the new Covid-19 variant, are buying time for scientists to answer key questions that co…

Travel Curbs, Plunging Markets Lead To Global Panic Over New Covid Strain

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Travel Curbs, Plunging Markets Lead To Global Panic Over New Covid Strain" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-11/6l1b9eug_eu-covid-reuters-650_625x300_27_November_21.jpg" title="Travel Curbs, Plunging Markets Lead To Global Panic Over New Covid Strain" /></div>
US, Canada, Brazil and UAE joined UK and many others in imposing a travel ban on southern Africa.
</div>
Washington/Geneva:
The discovery of a <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/who-classifies-new-covid-strain-omicron-variant-of-concern-2626566" target="_self">new coronavirus variant</a> named Omicron triggered global alarm on Friday as countries rushed to <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/new-variant-puts-south-africa-at-risk-of-global-shut-out-2625767" target="_self">suspend travel from southern Africa</a> and stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic suffered their biggest falls in more than a year.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Omicron may spread more quickly than other forms, and preliminary evidence suggested there is an increased risk of reinfection.
Epidemiologists warned travel curbs may be too late to stop Omicron from circulating globally. The new mutations were first discovered in South Africa and have since been detected in Belgium, Botswana, Israel and Hong Kong.
The <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-restricts-travel-from-8-southern-african-nations-over-new-covid-strain-2626586" target="_self">United States will restrict travel</a> from South Africa and neighbouring countries effective Monday, a senior Biden administration official said.
Going further, <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/canada-restricts-travel-from-7-african-countries-over-new-covid-strain-omicron-2626598" target="_self">Canada said it was closing its borders</a> to those countries, following bans on flights announced by Britain, the European and others.
But it could take weeks for scientists to fully understand the variant's mutations and whether existing vaccines and treatments are effective against it. Omicron is the fifth variant of concern designated by the WHO.
The variant has a spike protein that is dramatically different than the one in the original coronavirus that vaccines are based on, the UK Health Security Agency said, raising fears about how current vaccines will fare.
Scientists issued similar warnings.
"This new variant of the COVID-19 virus is very worrying. It is the most heavily mutated version of the virus we have seen to date," said Lawrence Young, a virologist at Britain's University of Warwick.
"Some of the mutations that are similar to changes we've seen in other variants of concern are associated with enhanced transmissibility and with partial resistance to immunity induced by vaccination or natural infection."
Those worries pummelled financial markets, especially stocks of airlines and others in the travel sector, and oil, which tumbled by about $10 a barrel.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 2.5%, its worst day since late October 2020, and European stocks had their worst day in 17 months.
Cruise operators Carnival Corp, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line plunged more than 10% each, while shares in United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines slumped almost as much.
'MOST SIGNIFICANT VARIANT'
Several other countries including India, Japan, Israel, Turkey, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates also toughened travel curbs.
In Geneva the WHO - whose experts on Friday discussed the risks presented by the variant, called B.1.1.529 - had earlier warned against travel curbs for now.
"It's really important that there are no knee-jerk responses," said the WHO's emergencies director Mike Ryan, praising South Africa's public health institutions for picking up the new variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Richard Lessells, a South Africa-based infectious disease expert, also expressed frustration at travel bans, saying the focus should be on getting more people vaccinated in places that have struggled to access sufficient shots.
"This is why we talked about the risk of vaccine apartheid. This virus can evolve in the absence of adequate levels of vaccination," he told Reuters.
Less than 7% of people in low-income countries have received their first COVID-19 shot, according to medical and human rights groups. Meanwhile, many developed nations are giving third-dose boosters.
"Failure to help vaccinate sub-Saharan Africa - still barely 4% of the population - left us all exposed to risk of a new, more virulent #COVID variant," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva wrote on Twitter. "News of #Omicron is an urgent reminder of why we need to do even more to vaccinate the world."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Failure to help vaccinate sub-Saharan Africa—still barely 4% of the population—left us all exposed to risk of a new, more virulent <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVIDvariant?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVIDvariant</a>.
News of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Omicron?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Omicron</a> is an urgent reminder of why we need to do even more to vaccinate the world.<a href="https://t.co/3qJwgZHdfA">https://t.co/3qJwgZHdfA</a><a href="https://t.co/vEtwg6Wq3y">pic.twitter.com/vEtwg6Wq3y</a>
— Kristalina Georgieva (@KGeorgieva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KGeorgieva/status/1464381600435777540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
TOO LATE FOR TRAVEL CURBS?
The coronavirus has swept the world in the two years since it was first identified in central China, infecting 260 million people and killing 5.4 million.
One epidemiologist in Hong Kong said it may be too late to tighten travel curbs against the latest variant.
"Most likely this virus is already in other places. And so if we shut the door now, it's going to be probably too late," said Ben Cowling of the University of Hong Kong.
Discovery of the new variant comes as Europe and the United States enter winter, with more people gathering indoors in the run-up to Christmas, providing a breeding ground for infection.
Friday also marked the start of the holiday shopping period in the United States, but stores were less crowded than in years past.
Realtor Kelsey Hupp, 36, was at the Macy's department store in downtown Chicago on Black Friday.
"Chicago is pretty safe and masked and vaccinated. I got my booster so I'm not too concerned about it," she said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/travel-bans-plunging-markets-global-panic-ensues-over-new-covid-variant-omicron-2626691">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/travel-bans-plunging-markets-global-panic-ensues-over-new-covid-variant-omicron-2626691</a>

news world Travel Curbs, Plunging Markets Lead To Global Panic Over New Covid Strain

US, Canada, Brazil and UAE joined UK and many others in imposing a travel ban on southern Africa. Washington/Geneva: The discovery of a new coronavirus variant named Omicron triggered global alarm on Friday as countries rushed to suspend travel from…

Omicron Variant First Detected in Four People Who Were Fully Vaccinated

The new ‘Omicron’ variant of COVID-19 was first detected in four people who were fully vaccinated, according to a public statement by the Botswana government.
The new variant, which some claim is three times more contagious, was initially discovered in Botswana before it spread across South Africa.
The news was met with global alarm, prompting financial markets to plummet and new travel bans to be put in place.
According to a public statement by the Botswana government, the new mutation was first discovered in four people who had received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true" readability="7.3783783783784">
The Botswana Government says that the new COVID variant (named Omicron) was first detected in four patients who were FULLY VACCINATED for COVID. <a href="https://t.co/twfaWmK2Gu">https://t.co/twfaWmK2Gu</a>
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) <a href="https://twitter.com/robbystarbuck/status/1464312591958908928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2021</a>
</blockquote>
According to the report, four cases of the new variant “were reported and recorded” on November 22.
“The preliminary report revealed that all the four had been completely vaccinated for COVID-19,” according to Botswana authorities.
In a subsequent statement, the government revealed that the new variant “was detected on four foreign nationals who had entered Botswana on the 7th November 2021, on a diplomatic mission.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true" readability="5.1803278688525">
STATEMENT ON THE NEW COVID-19 VARIANT <a href="https://t.co/ItmUi8H6j8">pic.twitter.com/ItmUi8H6j8</a>
— Botswana Government (@BWGovernment) <a href="https://twitter.com/BWGovernment/status/1464184386912501764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2021</a>
</blockquote>
“The quartet tested positive for COVID-19 on the 11th November 2021 as they were preparing to return,” according to the statement.
In a piece of good news, others who had close contact with the infectees “have no COVID-19 symptoms and have tested negative for COVID-19.”
As we <a href="https://summit.news/2021/11/26/belgian-prime-minister-says-new-variant-heralds-arrival-of-covid-21/">highlighted</a> earlier, according to Belgian Prime Minister , the Omicron variant is so potentially devastating that it should be called ‘COVID-21’.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s medical chief Dr. Angelique Coetzee described the panic as a “storm in a teacup,” adding that she had only seen “very very mild cases” of the variant so far.
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source <a href="https://summit.news/2021/11/26/omicron-variant-first-detected-in-four-people-who-were-fully-vaccinated/">https://summit.news/2021/11/26/omicron-variant-first-detected-in-four-people-who-were-fully-vaccinated/</a>

revolution summit Omicron Variant First Detected in Four People Who Were Fully Vaccinated

The new ‘Omicron’ variant of COVID-19 was first detected in four people who were fully vaccinated, according to a public statement by the Botswana government. The new variant, which some claim is three times more contagious, was initially discovered …