Nations close borders but more Omicron cases emerge globally

The Dutch health authority says it has found the new omicron variant of the coronavirus in two local cases going back as far as 11 days, showing it was already in western Europe's heartland before the reports came out of South Africa last week.

The RIVM health institute said it found Omicron in samples dating from Nov. 19 and 23. Those findings predate the positive cases found among passengers who came from South Africa last Friday and were tested at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.

Japan and France also confirmed their first cases of the new variant of the coronavirus on Tuesday as countries around the world scrambled to close their doors or find ways to limit its spread while scientists study how damaging it might be.

The World Health Organization has warned that the global risk from the Omicron variant is "very high" based on early evidence, saying it could lead to surges with "severe consequences."

French authorities on Tuesday confirmed the first case of the Omicron variant in the French island territory of Reunion in the Indian Ocean. Patrick Mavingui, a microbiologist at the island's research clinic for infectious diseases, said the person who has tested positive for the new variant is a 53-year-old man who had travelled to Mozambique and stopped in South Africa before returning to Reunion.