London, Nov 28, : Two cases Omicron coronavirus variants have been identified in Britain, according to Sajid Javid, British Health Secretary. He said that the cases in Nottingham and Chelmsford were “linked”.
The two individuals are now self-isolating with their families while further tests and contact tracing are conducted.
Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister, stated that all travelers entering Britain must undergo a PCR test within two days of their arrival.
He also advised that they must self-isolate until they receive a negative result.
He said that while rules regarding face coverings are being tightened in shops and public transport, they will also be reviewed in three weeks.
Downing Street has since tweeted: “Face covers will be compulsory on public transport and shops.But this does not include hospitality.
Johnson stated that there are many things we don’t know at this stage, and that Omicron spreads very quickly.
He warned that “extensive mutation.
might reduce at least in part the effectiveness of our vaccines”.
He said that the “targeted actions now” will “buy us time to understand what our scientists are dealing with”, and also facilitate more booster jabs in arms, as well as keeping pressure on the National Health Service.
The travel “red” list of Britain has been expanded to include four additional countries, effective Sunday at 4:00 GMT: Angola Mozambique Malawi Zambia and Zambia.
The British government previously added South Africa to its travel red list.
These countries have been unable to fly to Britain until Sunday at 4:00 GMT.
Passengers from these countries arriving in Britain after Sunday at 4:00 GMT will need to book and pay for a government approved hotel to quarantine them for 10 days.Anyone who arrived from these countries in recent times is urged by the British government to have their DNA tested.
Omicron, also known as B.1.1.529 in South Africa, Botswana and Israel, has been identified, and may be found in other countries and regions.
Due to the new variant, a growing number of countries and regions are suspending flights to southern African countries.
This has raised serious concerns among scientists and researchers, and caused a huge slump in stocks in Asia, Europe, and the US.
The latest variant B.1.1.529 SARS-CoV-2 variant was declared “of concern” by the World Health Organization on Friday.It is the most serious form of the virus and officially given the name Omicron.
The WHO has asked countries for increased surveillance and sequencing efforts in fighting the new variant.
Scientists are still unsure if existing antibodies would react well with Omicron, which contains 32 spike protein mutations.
This is more than any variants previously discovered.
In the last 24-hours, the country reported 39,567 additional coronavirus infections, bringing the total number to 10,110,000.408.
Another 131 deaths due to coronavirus were also reported in Britain.The total number of coronavirus related deaths in Britain now stands around 144,724.These figures do not include deaths that occurred within 28 days of the first positive test.
According to the latest figures, more than 88% of British 12 year-olds have received their first dose of vaccine.More than 80 percent have received both doses.
More than 29% have had booster jabs or the third dose, of coronavirus vaccine.
Countries such as the US, Britain, China, Germany and Russia have been racing against the clock to develop coronavirus vaccines to bring life back to normal.
int/khz/ #Omicron #variant #StockExchange #SenSex #Nifty #India #Economy
.
