Britain tightens rules as world on alert over variant
LONDON — The U.K. tightened up rules Saturday on mask-wearing and on testing of international arrivals after finding two cases of the new potentially more contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus that was identified just a few days ago in South Africa.
New cases also were confirmed Saturday in Germany and Italy, with Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong also reporting that the variant has been found in travelers.
Because of fears that the new variant has the poten- COVID-19 on the second tial to be more resistant to day after their arrival and the protection offered by self-isolate until they provaccines, there are grow- vide a negative test. And if ing concerns around the someone tests positive for world that the pandemic the omicron variant, then and associated lockdown he said their close contacts restrictions will persist for will have to self-isolate for far longer than hoped. 10 days regardless of their
Nearly two years since vaccination status — curthe start of the pandemic rently close contacts are that has claimed more than exempt from quarantine 5 million lives around the rules if they are fully vacworld, countries are on high cinated. alert. Many have already He also said mask-wear- imposed travel restrictions ing in shops and on public on flights from southern transport will be required Africa as they seek to buy and said the independent time to assess whether the group of scientists that omicron variant is more advises the Br itish govtransmissible than the cur- ernment on the rollout of rent dominant delta variant. coronavirus vaccines has
In an attempt to slow the been asked to accelerate spread in the U.K., British the vaccination program. Prime Minister Boris John- This could involve widenson said it was necessary to ing the booster program to take “targeted and precau- younger age groups, reductionary measures” after two ing the time period between people tested positive for a second dose and a booster the new variant in England. and allowing older children
“Right now this is the to get a second dose. responsible course of action “From today we’re going to slow down the seeding to boost the booster camand the spread of this new paign,” he said. variant and to maximize our Britain’s Department of defenses,” he told a news Health said the two cases conference. ound in the U.K. were
Among the measures linked and involved travel announced, Johnson said from southern Africa. One anyone arriving in England of the two new cases was must take a PCR test for in the southeastern English
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