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The omicron variant spreads around the world: What measures are different countries taking?

Israel and Japan are the first countries that have decided to close their borders to prevent the spread of the new variant of covid-19. Meanwhile, African authorities criticize that measures against COVID must be based “on science, and not on Afrophobia.”

The World Health Organization has warned that the risk of omicron variant of coronavirus transmitted throughout the world is very high and therefore calls on its member states to take appropriate measures to halt its expansion.

In that sense, it advocates speed up vaccination, especially among the most vulnerable population. However, different governments have chosen above all to increase restrictive measures.

The first cases of the omicron variant were detected in South Africa and some countries have already decided close its borders as a preventive measure.

Israel It was last midnight the first country in the world to impose a strict border closure to shield itself from the omicron, of which there are already two confirmed cases in the country.

In this line, Japan has decided this Monday to close its borders again except for the return of its citizens and foreign residents, an “urgent” measure taken in response to the new omicron strain, from which no infections have been detected in the country for now.

The authorities of Philippines have announced the suspension of the opening of their borders without quarantine to tourists vaccinated against covid-19, a measure that was to take effect on December 1, due to the new omicron variant of the coronavirus.

While, Australia has delayed the partial opening of the borders to qualified workers and foreign students vaccinated from December 1 to 15 after detecting four cases of the new variant of covid-19.

On European Union, the French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Clément Beaune, said this Monday that the internal borders of the EU will not be closed despite the increase in epidemic pressure.

For his part, the President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera, has joined the resounding criticism of these days against the travel restrictions and bans imposed on southern Africa after the detection of the omicron variant and has affirmed that measures against the covid must be based “on science, not on Afrophobia “.

“We are all concerned about the new covid variant and we owe the South African scientists our gratitude for identifying it before anyone else,” Chakwera, who also serves as shift president of the Community for Development bloc of countries, said last night via Facebook. Southern Africa (SADC).

On the other hand, the first case of the omicron variant in Spain It has been confirmed this afternoon in Madrid. This is a traveler from South Africa, who remains admitted to the Gregorio Marañon Hospital with mild symptoms.

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