Gabon: the Omicron variant represents 20 to 25% of people tested positive for Covid-19

A woman waits to be tested for the coronavirus at the Nkembo medical center in Libreville, Gabon (illustrative image).

Steeve Jordan / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

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In Gabon, the government confirms the presence of the Omicron variant on its territory: 20 to 25% of people tested positive are affected by the Omicron variant, announced the Minister of Health in a press conference.

Opportunity for the minister to clarify the government's new policy in the fight against Covid-19.

A policy highly contested by civil society, which twice obtained the annulment of two government decrees by the Constitutional Court.

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With our correspondent in Gabon,

Yves-Laurent Goma

The Minister of Health opened the press conference by announcing the presence of the Omicron variant in the country.

Guy Patrick Obiang Ndong indicated that this very contagious variant would be at the origin of the fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Gabon: “ 

There is a proportion of tests around 20, 25% which show positive results in Omicron variant.

But it goes extremely fast because it is a very contagious variant.

It is a variant which has an extremely high attack rate and a strong doubling rate.

We have a cohabitation between the old variant which is the Delta variant and the Omicron variant

 ”.

Mass vaccination

The minister then explained at length why the government adopted a new decree in the Council of Ministers on Monday setting out the new policy to combat Covid-19.

The policy of mass screening is over, it is now time for mass vaccination.

For Gabonese who do not wish to be vaccinated, they will pay for their test at 50,000 CFA francs every two weeks.

This is the condition for going to work or accessing public places.

The Citizen Copil, the movement which challenges this government policy, has promised to seize for the third time the Constitutional Court to demand the annulment of the new decree which violates, according to him the fundamental freedoms.

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To read also

: Covid-19: in Gabon, showdown with the Constitutional Court, a decree adopted by the executive

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  • Gabon

  • Health and medicine

  • Coronavirus

  • Human rights