Omicron: wary world slams doors shut

Omicron: wary world slams doors shut

New cases in Portugal and Scotland may point towards local spread of the variant, fear officials

30/11/2021

Warning bells: People waiting to be transported to a quarantine facility after arriving at an airport in Japan. AFP

Associated Press Brussels

Taking an act-now-ask-questions-later approach, countries around the world slammed their doors shut again to try to keep the new Omicron variant at bay on Monday as more cases of the mutant coronavirus emerged and scientists raced to figure out just how dangerous it might be.

Japan announced it would bar entry of all foreign visitors, joining Israel in doing so just days after the variant was identified by researchers in South Africa. Morocco banned all incoming flights. Other countries, including the U.S. and European Union members, have moved to prohibit travellers arriving from southern Africa.

Travellers infected with the new version have turned up in a widening circle of countries over the past few days, including Spain, and cases in Portugal and Scotland have raised fears that the variant may already be spreading locally.

“Many of us might think we are done with COVID-19. It’s not done with us,” warned Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization.

The infections have underscored the difficulty in keeping the virus in check in a globalised world of jet travel and open borders. Yet, many countries are trying to do just that, against the urging of the WHO, which noted that border closings often have limited effect and can wreak havoc on lives and livelihoods. Some argued that such restrictions could provide valuable time to analyse the new variant.

“This time the world showed it is learning,” said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, singling out South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for praise.

“South Africa’s analytic work and transparency and sharing its results was indispensable in allowing a swift global response. It no doubt saved many lives.”

Late last week, Ms. von der Leyen successfully pushed the 27-nation EU to agree to ban flights from seven southern African nations, similar to what many other countries are doing.

Cases had already been reported in EU nations Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands before Portuguese authorities identified 13 Omicron infections among members of the Belenenses professional football team. Authorities reported one member had recently travelled to South Africa.

Spain also reported its first confirmed case of the variant. It was detected in a traveller who returned on Sunday from South Africa after making a stopover in Amsterdam. And after Scotland reported its first six cases, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned that “there might already be some community transmission of this variant”.

Taking no chances, Japan, which has yet to detect any Omicron cases, reimposed border controls that it had eased earlier this month. “We are taking the step as an emergency precaution to prevent a worst-case scenario in Japan,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. The new measures begin on Tuesday.