This new strain is now spreading from Africa to the Pacific, from Canada to Italy, via Germany and the United Kingdom, where six new cases have been confirmed in Scotland.

Without forgetting the Netherlands, with 14 passengers arriving from South Africa carrying Omicron, Portugal, where 13 players from a football club have been declared infected, and Spain, which has officially reported a first case.

Never has a variant of Covid-19 caused so much concern since the emergence of Delta, already very contagious.

Convened by the UK, health ministers from seven of the most industrialized nations "also recognized the strategic relevance of ensuring access to vaccines", including providing "operational assistance, following through on our commitments in terms of donations, by combating misinformation about vaccines, as well as by supporting research and development ".

For its part, the World Health Organization stressed that "the likelihood of Omicron spreading globally" was "high", while acknowledging that many unknowns remained.

Starting with its contagiousness, the level of protection conferred by existing Covid vaccines and the severity of the symptoms caused.

A protester against the restrictions linked to Covid-19 in front of the Ministry of Justice in The Hague on November 26, 2021 Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD AFP

The only reassuring element in this observation, to date "no death associated" with this variant has been reported.

South Africa "punished"

The anxiety is all the greater around the world as the list of countries where Omicron is spotted continues to grow, especially in Europe, after the first cases in southern Africa in November, pushing to many states to suspend travel to this region and institute preventive measures.

A new variant of Covid-19 John SAEKI AFP

The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said on Monday that he was "very concerned" by the isolation of southern Africa, considering that "the African people cannot be held responsible for the immorally low level. vaccines available "on his continent.

Deeming itself already "punished" for having revealed the existence of the variant, South Africa has also called for the "immediate and urgent" lifting of travel restrictions and described as "regrettable" that certain African nations are taking their turn. such measures.

A cyclist and pedestrians in Bordeaux the day after the obligation to wear the mask again in the streets of the city, November 27, 2021 Thibaud MORITZ AFP

Like Gabon, which now refuses entry to its soil of travelers from eight southern African countries.

These security devices are now spreading rapidly all over the planet.

Hostesses wearing protective masks and gloves against Covid-19 stand near a boarding gate at Haneda airport in Tokyo, November 29, 2021 Philip FONG AFP

Three weeks after having relaxed certain restrictions, Japan will "ban all (new) entries of foreign nationals" from Tuesday because of Omicron.

Australia, where five cases of this variant have been recorded, which was to reopen Wednesday to students and foreign skilled workers its borders closed for more than 20 months, for its part will wait at least two more weeks.

The Philippines, which wanted to allow fully vaccinated tourists from Wednesday to enter their territory, similarly suspended their project.

Indonesia has declared undesirable on its soil people who have been in Hong Kong in the past 15 days, where Omicron has been reported.

The Delta and Omicron AFP variants

Israel, where a case has been confirmed in a traveler returning from Malawi, has prohibited the arrival of foreigners since Sunday evening and will impose PCR testing and quarantine, including on its vaccinated nationals.

As for the United States, which had just reopened to the rest of the world in early November, it will close on Monday to travelers from eight southern African countries.

Joe Biden, however, said Monday that there was "no reason to panic", even if his country is on "early warning" against Omicron.

Confident laboratories

As for vaccine manufacturers, AstraZeneca such as Pfizer / BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax have expressed confidence in their ability to combat this variant.

Passengers, some masked others not, in the London Underground on November 28, 2021 Tolga Akmen AFP

Russia, for its part, has announced that it is developing a version of its Sputnik V against the new coronavirus specifically targeting Omicron, in the "unlikely event" where the current serum is not sufficient.

In the United Kingdom, a third dose of vaccine against Covid-19 will be offered to all over 18 years of age in order to strengthen the protection of the population against this strain.

And Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday promised Africa a billion doses against Covid, in the form of donations or support for local production.

WHO has also urged, during an exceptional meeting of its supreme decision-making body, the World Health Assembly, to the Sacred Union to arm itself against the next pandemic, after that caused by the coronavirus has already claimed more than five million lives since its appearance in late 2019 in China.

burx-bds / sg

© 2021 AFP