UK, Germany, Italy Detect Cases Of New Covid Variant
NDTV
The discovery of the new Covid variant has sparked global concern, a wave of travel bans or curbs and a sell-off on financial markets on Friday.
Britain, Germany and Italy detected cases of the new 'Omicron' coronavirus variant on Saturday and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new steps to contain the virus, while more nations imposed restrictions on travel from southern Africa.
The discovery of the variant has sparked global concern, a wave of travel bans or curbs and a sell-off on financial markets on Friday as investors worried that Omicron could stall a global recovery from the nearly two-year pandemic.
The two linked cases of the new variant detected in Britain were connected to travel to southern Africa, British health minister Sajid Javid said.
Speaking later, Johnson laid out measures that included stricter testing rules for people arriving in the country but that stopped short of curbs on social activity other than requiring mask wearing in some settings.
