The Governments around the world reintroduced restrictive measures as the scientists raced to study a new coronavirus variant and the several other cases were spotted in Europe days after it was first detected in the South Africa. Omicron, a new variant first detected in Botswana, sent Europe into high alert .
As the variant of concern Omicron sent the world into panic, our country India has started tightening its travel rules to prevent the transmission of the new COVID-19 variant. The omicron variant has already been detected in Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong, Britain and Israel, sparking global concern and a rush to ban travel.
India’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the need for monitoring all international arrivals, their testing as per guidelines, with a focus on countries identified at the risk. RT-PCR tests have been made mandatory for the travellers arriving from the UK, Brazil, Europe, South Africa, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Botswana, China, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, and Hong Kong.
Many countries of the world have already imposed travel restrictions on the flights from the southern Africa amid fears the omicron variant has potential to be more resistant to protection offered by available vaccines.
The new Omicron variant was first reported to WHO from South Africa.