UK, Italy and Germany confirm cases of new Micron variant; Europe extends international restrictions

London – the new micron variable From the new Corona virus challenges politics in Europe And leave governments like United kingdomGermany, the Netherlands, and Italy On alert.

This Saturday, the 27th, the United Kingdom and Germany reported the discovery of two cases of infection in each country by the new variant in people associated with travel to South Africa. Italy confirmed a case of the new variant in a person from Mozambique.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands is investigating suspicious cases and European governments are imposing new restrictions on travelers from Africa.

“The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed that two cases COVID-19 With mutations compatible with the B.1.1.529 variant,” the British Department of Health said in a statement, adding that those infected and their families will be isolated. The two cases are linked (to each other) and to a trip to South Africa.” Health officials indicated that one of them was discovered in Nottingham (central) and the other in Chelmsford (east London).

In order to “confront the development of the situation”, the British government decided, starting today, Sunday, to tighten entry conditions for those coming from the United Arab Emirates to its lands. MalawiAnd MozambiqueAnd Zambia NS Angola. At a press conference on Saturday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson He also said that any traveler arriving in the UK must undergo a PCR test and self-isolate for two days in order to receive the test result.

Johnson also said the UK would step up measures to implement the third dose and plan to vaccinate at least 6 million in England in the next three weeks. The use of masks on public transport will also be restored. “We are not sure how effective the vaccines will be against the Omicron variant, but we have reason to believe that the third dose produces a stronger response. These actions we are taking today are temporary and will be reviewed in three weeks, when we have more information about the efficacy of the vaccines against the variant,” Prime Minister stated.

The four countries joined a list that already includes South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini (or Swaziland), Zimbabwe and Botswana, which were included on the government’s “red list” on Friday. All people from these countries are prohibited from entering the UK unless they are British citizens or residents. Those who “returned from these countries in the past 10 days should self-isolate and undergo PCR testing”.

The British government has one of the world’s deadliest Covid-19 deaths, with more than 140,000 people, and is currently recording an increase in cases, with around 1,000 hospitalizations per day.

before restrictions

Trying to contain the largest spread of infection COVID-19 Since the beginning of the epidemic, the Germany On Saturday, it confirmed two cases of the new type in people who arrived at Munich airport on November 24, before Berlin announced South Africa as a country on its list of restrictions. Isolation

The arrival of a new alternative, which he considered “disturbing” before World Health Organization, is another reason for fear among the German authorities, who are trying to control the largest number of infections since the beginning of the epidemic. this week, The country crossed the 100,000-death mark and broke the record for new daily cases, with 75,961 recorded on Thursday 25.

employment ItalyThe Ministry of Health reported that the confirmed case in a person coming from Mozambique was the first to be reported and investigated. The patient is in good condition and is in isolation.

suspicious cases

a Dutch On Saturday, it announced that it was analyzing whether 61 people from South Africa have tested positive for coronavirus Infected with the new Micron variant.

According to Dutch health authorities, the 61 passengers who tested positive for the virus traveled on two planes from South Africa, and there were 531 other passengers who tested negative. For now, they are isolated in a hotel on the outskirts of Amsterdam Airport. “Positive results will be quickly checked to see if they are related to the new variant of concern,” they explained.

Czech health authorities are also investigating a suspected case of a Namibian.

On Friday 26, the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) said the risk of the new type of COVID-19 spreading across Europe was “high to very high”. / Agence France-Presse and Reuters