Covid. Ministry of Health: "Strengthen tracking against the Omicron variant".

• 61 people who arrived in the Netherlands from South Africa are positive for Covid

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• The new variant cuts through the bags.

  Oil down 6%

• Covid-19, in Belgium the first case of the South African variant confirmed in Europe

• The Omicron variant is in Europe, the first case in Belgium.

  ECDC: high or very high risk

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November 27, 2021 Against the new Omicron variant, it is necessary to "strengthen and monitor the tracking and sequencing activities in the case of travelers from countries with diffusion of this variant and their contacts". This is the recommendation of the Ministry of Health to the Regions contained in the circular published today signed by the Director General of Prevention Gianni Rezza, in which it also asks "in cases of outbreaks characterized by a rapid and anomalous increase in cases, to promptly and scrupulously apply the measures quarantine and isolation already foreseen following the spread of the Delta variant. 

The new variant B.1.1.529 of the Covid-19 virus, first detected in South Africa, was classified on Friday as "worrying" by the World Health Organization (WHO), and nicknamed "Omicron". It will take "a few weeks" to understand the level of transmissibility and virulence, but in the meantime the countries are running for cover with a strengthening of anti-Covid measures and in many cases with the stop to flights from countries at risk. The ECDC has estimated the risk associated with the variant for the EU and the SEE "from high to very high".

The United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Guatemala were the latest countries to close their borders with seven countries in the Southern African region, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Several European countries including Italy, France, the Netherlands, Russia and Switzerland have already banned flights from South Africa and neighboring countries. "An unjustified decision", according to the South African Minister of Health who branded the measure as "draconian, unscientific and contrary to WHO advice" and accused some leaders, whom he did not appoint, of seeking a "scapegoat" for a global problem. 

The Dutch Prime Minister has announced a tightening of health restrictions since Sunday, including the early closure of bars, restaurants and non-essential services at 5pm. Meanwhile, concern rises after 61 people who arrived at Amsterdam airport with two flights from South Africa tested positive for Covid-19. The authorities are carrying out further tests to see if some cases concern the Omicron variant recently discovered in the African country. "Travelers who test positive will be placed in solitary confinement in a hotel or near the airport," the Ministry of Health explained in a statement. Dutch. "Among the positive tests, we are checking as quickly as possible whether it is the new variant of concern, now called 'Omicron'", the same source specified.

In the country, the first case of the Omicron variant in Europe was detected. This is a young woman who developed symptoms eleven days after traveling to Egypt via Turkey. It had no connection with South Africa, nor with any other country in the south of the African continent. The patient, the Belgian media wrote, had a high viral load at the time of diagnosis. She wasn't vaccinated, nor had she been infected in the past. The country has decided on a new anti-Covid squeeze: discos remain closed; restaurants close at 11pm, with a maximum of six people at the table; private parties - except weddings and funerals - are prohibited. "The number of beds occupied in intensive care has doubled in one week. The red line has been crossed and this is obviously very worrying",the Prime Minister regretted. "

The Omicron variant of Covid-19 has "most likely" also arrived in Germany. This was announced by the Minister of Social Affairs of Hesse, Kai Klose, on Twitter, referring to the first suspected case. "Last night, several typical Omicron mutations were detected in a traveler from South Africa," wrote Klose, as reported by Der Spiegel. The person in question, on whom sequencing results are expected to ascertain the variant, entered Germany from Frankfurt airport.

Despite the fear of the Omicron variant of Covid growing by the hour and more and more countries in Europe are restoring measures and restrictions, tomorrow in Switzerland there will be a vote on the Green Pass. The Swiss electorate is in fact called to the polls to rule on a series of changes to the Covid law, including the legal basis for the health certificate. This is the first vote in the world on the Green Pass but it is not the first time that the Swiss have turned to a referendum on health measures to combat the pandemic: on 13 June the coronavirus law had already been submitted to a popular vote. Back then, it had been accepted with over 60% of the vote.

Switzerland has also announced a ban on all direct flights from Southern Africa with exceptions for Swiss citizens or residents of Switzerland. All people traveling from South Africa, Hong Kong, Israel and Belgium will also need to submit a negative Covid-19 test and comply with a ten-day quarantine. The variant B.1.1.529 - it is specified - has not yet been detected in Switzerland. 

The epidemiological situation in Russia is still very serious, with an average of one thousand deaths per day, the highest death rate in the world. This is the fifth budget in terms of gravity in the world behind those of the USA, Brazil, India and Mexico. 

The United States has not so far identified any cases of Omicron, the new Covid variant that arouses fears due to the high contagiousness. This was reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), specifying that it is ready to "identify it quickly, if it emerges in the US". Meanwhile, the authorities have decided to ban the entry of travelers from South Africa and 7 other African countries from Monday (Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland - now known as eSwatini -, Mozambique and Malawi. 

The Brazilian government will also "close air borders" from Monday 29 November to six African countries - South Africa, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe - to prevent the spread of the new variant. "We will protect Brazilians in this new phase of the pandemic," cabinet chief Ciro Nogueira said on Twitter. The country, one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, has completed 25 consecutive days with an average of fewer than 300 coronavirus deaths per day, while 158 million people have already received at least one dose of the vaccines. 

No stop at the entrances but a 10-day quarantine for travelers from 10 southern African countries due to fears for the new Covid variant. Passengers on flights from South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Botswana will have to isolate themselves in special facilities upon arrival in the Rising Sun, undergo a first swab and then three others during the next 10 days. 

Covid victims in South Korea and critically ill patients have hit record highs in the past 24 hours and the Seoul government has warned that new measures will be announced next Monday. There are 4,068 new cases of Covid, almost all (4,045) local, for a total of 436,968, according to the Korean Agency for Disease Control and Prevention (Kdca). 634 patients hospitalized in serious conditions, never so many since January 2020. 

As the world grapples with the new variant, India has seen the lowest increase in new cases in 541 days.

The number of victims remains very high, 465 in one day.

Active cases are currently 0.311% of the total, the lowest percentage since March 2020, while the cure rate is 98.34%, the highest since March 2020, the health ministry said.