NEW DELHI, Nov 27: Two South African nationals tested positive for covid on
arrival at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Saturday. Both
have been sent to quarantine centres. More tests are under way to determine
if they are infected with the new highly mutated covid variant named as Omicron
strain by the WHO. The result was expecetd in 48 hours.
The new variant is more transmissible than the highly infectious Delta variant,
which had ravaged the whole of India in the months of April and May taking a
heavy toll. The vaccines available are thought to be less effective against
the new covid.
It is said to be rapidly spreading in Gauteng province of South Africa, especially
the busy Johannesburg and Pretoria. The South African Genomics Surveillance
institute had identified the new B.1.1.529 on Monday. Its spike protein mutations
are feared to be able to transmit more widely and be highly infective by evading
the immune system more efficiently. The mutated spike protein also makes the
cell penetration easier. That would make the existing vaccines less effective
in containing infection. Significantly, the SA institute said “no unusual symptoms”
have been found. Masking, social distancing, good ventilation and hand washing
still hold good as the fundamental character and behaviour of the virus will
remain unchanged.
UK confirms two cases
The United Kingdom also confirmed on Saturday two cases of the new covid strain,
linked to travel from southern Africa. The presence of the new covid mutant
has been reported from Botswana, Israel, Belgium and Hong Kong also, apart from
South Africa.
The UK banned flights from South Africa and five other southern African countries
and announced that anyone who had recently arrived from those countries would
be asked to take a coronavirus test. Japan also announced similar ban.
Several countries have reintroduced travel bans, especially on South Africa,
where the new variant was detected first. Joining a growing list of countries
imposing travel ban, the United States announced on Friday it will restrict
travel for non-US citizens from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho,
Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi starting Monday.
What Biden said
President Joe Biden told reporters on Friday, “I’ve decided we’re going to
be cautious. We don’t know a lot about the variant except it is a great concern,
seems to spread rapidly.” He was speaking after the White House issued a statement
on the travel ban. In the statement announcing the travel ban, Biden urged already
immunized Americans to get their booster shots. It came a day after celebrating
the Thanksgiving gatherings by American families, indicating things were getting
normal.
The UK, Canada, Russia and the European Union also joined the list of countries
imposing travel bans. We must move quickly and at the earliest possible moment,
British Health Secretary Sajid Javid told lawmakers.
The new variant of concern has also spread a scare among the stock exchanges
worldwide, stocks crashing, especially those related the travel industry. US
and European futures fell and the 10-year Treasury yield dropped to 1.56%.
South Africa's Health Minister Joe Phaahla said that new travel restrictions
amid concerns over a heavily mutated covid variant are “unjustified.” However,
he said preliminary studies suggested the variant may be more transmissible.
India swings into action
In New Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday urged Prime Minister
Narendra Modi to stop flights from those countries where the new variant has
been detected. "I urge PM to stop flights from those countries which are affected
by new variant. With great difficulty, our country has recovered from corona.
We should do everything possible to prevent this new variant from entering India,"
Kejriwal said in a tweet.
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar said that the samples of every passenger coming
from South Africa would be sent for genome sequencing on arrival in Mumbai.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a high-level meeting on Friday on the new
covid variant of concern. “PM said that in light of the new threat, people need
to [be] more cautious and the need to take proper precautions like masking &
social distancing. PM highlighted the need for monitoring all international
arrivals, their testing as per guidelines, with a specific focus on countries
identified ‘at risk’,” his office said in a statement following the meeting.
The Delta variant is still wreaking havoc in in Europe and parts of the United
States.
