 | | | | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled on Saturday new measures to try to stop the spread of a new coronavirus variant called Omicron, saying all arrivals would have to take a test and it was time to step up booster jabs. | | | | | | 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. | | | | | | Colombia will extend its health state of emergency until Feb. 28 due to the emergence of a new coronavirus strain in South Africa, the Andean country's President Ivan Duque said on Saturday. | | | | | | Italy reported 90 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday against 51 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections fell to 12,877 from 13,686. | | | | | | Dutch health authorities said on Saturday they had detected 61 COVID-19 cases among people who flew from South Africa on Friday and believe at least some infections are of the new omicron variant. | | | | | | Two cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant have been detected in the southern German state of Bavaria and a suspected case found in the west of the country, health officials said on Saturday. | | | | | | The United Kingdom on Saturday reported 39,567 more COVID-19 cases and 131 further deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to official data. | | | | | | Britain announced new measures on Saturday to try to slow the spread of the newly identified Omicron coronavirus variant and a top health official said there was a "reasonable chance" that vaccines could be less effective against it. | | | | | | Hungary will impose restrictions on travellers from Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, the government said on Saturday after a new coronavirus variant was detected in South Africa. | | | | | | South Africa said on Saturday it was being punished for its advanced ability to detect new COVID-19 variants early, as travel bans and restrictions imposed because of the new Omicron variant threaten to harm tourism and other sectors of the economy. | | | | | |
