US, Other Countries Tighten Travel Rules Over New Variant Concerns
NDTV
A World Health Organization official said 24 countries may have reported cases of the variant so far but that some of the early indications were that most cases were mild, with none severe.
Air travellers to the United States will face tougher COVID-19 testing rules to try to slow the spread of the Omicron variant and other countries tightened border controls as a European leader urged all concerned to "prepare for the worst".
A World Health Organization official said 24 countries may have reported cases of the variant so far but that some of the early indications were that most cases were mild, with none severe. Travel bans had consequences, he said, but there would be more mutations without other measures to contain its spread.
Staving off Omicron while scientists establish how easily it can spread and whether it can evade vaccine protection is a "race against time" the president of the European Union's executive Commission said, emphasising the role of vaccines.
"Prepare for the worst, hope for the best," Ursula von der Leyen told a news conference, adding that according to scientists, full vaccination and a booster shot provide the strongest possible protection.
