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first confirmed case of Omicron was also found in the United States. He is said to have returned from a trip to South Africa after being vaccinated, but US authorities have decided to tighten entry requirements for travelers entering the US by air. 



Correspondent Kim Jong-won from New York.



[Reporter]



U.S. health officials said the first confirmed case of Omicron in the United States was found in California.



A person who traveled to South Africa and returned to San Francisco on November 22, was confirmed with Omicron, a new mutation of Corona, a week after returning home.



[Anthony Fauci / Chief Medical Adviser of the White House: The Omicron confirmed patient is currently in self-quarantine. All people who had close contact with the infected person tested negative. The patient has been vaccinated and is currently showing mild symptoms, which is getting better.]



US authorities have decided to tighten entry requirements for international travelers entering the US by air.



Until now, entry was possible if there was a negative corona certificate issued within three days of departure to the United States along with the vaccine certificate, but in the future, the period has been shortened to be issued one day in advance.



It is also known that they are considering a plan to make it mandatory to undergo a corona test within a few days after entering the United States.



However, President Biden said he is not yet considering strengthening quarantine measures, such as a shutdown in the United States.



[Joe Biden/President of the United States: We will have to fight Corona this winter too.

However, rather than shutdown or lockdown, we will fight by increasing the number of vaccines and booster shots and strengthening the corona test.] In the



meantime, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Health Organization (WHO), said that the existing coronavirus vaccine has a severe preventive effect even with the new Omicron mutation. said there is.



The WHO says more information about Omicron will be available in the next few days, and it is not yet known whether Omicron is more contagious than Delta, but has a higher fatality rate.