Covid live: WHO names new variant ‘Omicron’; US and Canada bring in travel curbs

A selection of countries in north Africa and the Middle East have joined those imposing restrictions on arrivals from southern Africa.

Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Morocco have introduced varying bans on travellers from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and Eswatini according to AFP.

Iran said it will ban foreign travellers from six countries, including South Africa. Iranians will be admitted after testing negative twice for Covid, state broadcaster IRIB reported. On Friday it reported 86 deaths.

Novavax, the US company that is among those to have produced a Covid vaccine, said it is working on a version of its jab to target the Omicron variant detected in southern Africa.

The company said it could be ready for testing and manufacturing in the next few weeks, according to Reuters.

Its shot contains a version of the virus’ spike protein that can’t cause the disease but triggers the immune system.

Pfizer/BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson have also said they were checking the effectiveness of their inoculations against the new strain.

German officials say the new coronavirus variant hasn’t yet been found in the country, according to a government report.

Reuters says an interior ministry document says it is likely to have spread to more countries.

On the back of the announcement of new rules for people travelling into the US from southern Africa, Joe Biden has said it makes it “clearer than ever” that global vaccinations are needed to end the pandemic.

The president called for people to get their booster vaccination dose for additional protection over the festive period.

“For the world community, the news about this new variant should make clearer than ever why this pandemic will not end until we have global vaccinations. The United States has already donated more vaccines to other countries than every other nation combined. It is time for other countries to match America’s speed and generosity,” he said.

Biden added that nations at the World Trade Organization ministerial meeting next week to waive intellectual property protections for vaccines.

“This news today reiterates the importance of moving on this quickly,” the US president said.

US president Joe Biden will restrict travel from eight southern African countries after the emergence of the new Omicron variant, as of Monday.

New rules will apply to passengers from South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Eswatini, meaning non-US citizens and permanent residents will not be able to fly into the country.

Over the border, Canada said it would ban the entry of foreign nationals who have travelled through southern Africa in the last fortnight.

The restrictions applies to the same countries as new rules in the US, apart from Malawi.

Testing on arrival will be mandatory for Canadian nationals who have been through the region in the previous 14 days, and must quarantine until they get a negative result. Officials said no cases of the new variant had been detected.

The Netherlands will be “effectively closed from 5pm to 5am” according to remarks by caretaker prime minister Mark Rutte, announcing new Covid restrictions from Sunday.

Speaking at a press conference announcing the partial lockdown, he said: “We have to be realistic, the daily figures are still too high.” Rutte added that the government had failed to get across the message that people with symptoms needed to get tested, and took the blame himself, according to AFP.

Bars, restaurants and shops will be closed early to curb a spike in cases. Schools will stay open, despite the largest rise being among children.

It’s been an awfully busy Friday, so here’s a quick round-up of some of the main developments:

• The new B.1.1.529 Covid variant, which has caused much global alarm, has been designated a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization and given the name Omicron. The WHO said Omicron “has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning”, and preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other VOCs. The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa, the WHO said.
• Scientists have described the Omicron variant as the “most worrying we’ve seen”, with it found to contain a large number of mutations that may not only make it more transmissible, but may also help it to evade the body’s immune system. Here is an explainer on what we known so far about Omicron.
• The new variant may pose a “substantial risk to public health” and UK “must act with caution”, the health secretary, Sajid Javid, said. He said it is highly likely Omicron had spread to other countries already, though no cases have so far been detected in the UK. The government will not at this stage, however, be implementing it’s so-called Plan B winter plan. Javid said Plan A remains the policy “that I think we need at this time” but added that this is kept under review and “if we need to go further we will”. He urged everyone eligible to get their booster jab as soon as possible.
• Numerous nations imposed travel restrictions on South Africa and neighbouring countries including Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Eswatini. The severity of the restrictions and requirements and the specific countries impacted vary. Some of the countries to introduce measures include the UK, Italy, Germany, Spain, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, India, Switzerland, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Israel and the Philippines. The EU has also agreed its member states should restrict travel from southern African countries. The European commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said it was important for Europe to remain united and act “swiftly and decisively”, and advised EU governments to pull an “emergency brake” to suspend travel to southern African countries. *It is interesting to note that – bar Switzerland – countries have so far only applied restrictions on southern African nations but not on Hong Kong, Israel and Belgium (the first known case in Europe), where cases of Omicron have been found (most of the cases detected so far are currently in South Africa and the variant has also been detected in Botswana).
• The World Health Organization cautioned countries against hastily imposing travel restrictions linked to Omicron, saying they should take a “risk-based and scientific approach”. It would take several weeks to determine the variant’s transmissibility and the effectiveness of vaccines and therapeutics against it, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said, noting that 100 sequences of the variant have been reported so far. People should continue to wear masks whenever possible, avoid large gatherings, ventilate rooms and maintain hand hygiene, he added.
• South Africa condemned the decision of other countries to impose travel restrictions as ‘unjustified’. The health minister, Joe Phaahla, Phaahla said South Africa was acting with transparency, and that travel bans introduced by a number of countries against southern African nations are “completely against the norms and standards” of the WHO. Phaahla called on all South Africans over the age of 12 to come forward and receive the vaccine, which he said remained a “major bulwark” against infection and severe illness.
• South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa will discuss reimposing lockdown restrictions at a meeting on Sunday, as the country scrambles to assess the potential for Omicron to unleash a deadly fourth wave. As I’ve mentioned above, the government appealed for people to get jabbed as soon as possible – only around 35% of South Africans have been vaccinated.
• European stocks plummeted amid widespread selling on Friday, as reports of Omicron stoked fears of a fresh hit to the global economy and drove investors out of riskier assets. In the UK, the FTSE 100 dropped 3.6% – the biggest one-day fall since June 2020, wiping £72bn off the value of the blue-chip index and taking it to its lowest level in seven weeks. Among the European stock sectors, travel and leisure plummeted 8.8% in its worst day since the Covid shock sell-off in March 2020.
• Germany’s top health officials raised the prospect of a national lockdown, warning that a rapidly rising number of coronavirus cases and a dramatic increase in the number of patients in intensive care meant contact reduction was the only way of tackling the crisis and avoiding “the road to chaos”. “We need a massive contact reduction immediately,” said Prof Lothar Wieler, the head of the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s federal disease control agency. He called on political leaders to utilise all available measures to prevent gatherings in large numbers and to urge the public to avoid any unnecessary contacts with people outside their own households. “We are at a crossroads,” he said. “We have one choice. Either we choose the road that leads to chaos and to a bad end … or the one which unburdens the health system and maybe enables a peaceful Christmas.” The outgoing health minister, Jens Spahn, called the situation “dramatically serious, to the extent that it has never been at any point in this pandemic”. Story here.
• England’s Covid weekly reproduction “R” number has risen and is likely to be above 1, with latest estimates showing it between 1.0 and 1.1, the UK Health Security Agency said on Friday. An R number between 1.0 and 1.1 means that for every 10 people infected, they will on average infect between 10 and 11 other people. Last week R was estimated between 0.8 and 1.0.The daily growth of infections was estimated between -1% and +2%, compared with -2% and 0% the previous week.
• Belgium brought in new restrictions including early closing of bars and full closure of nightclubs for three weeks to reduce social contact and curb a rapidly spreading fourth wave of Covid infections. The new measures come just a week after a previous package of coronavirus restrictions, including enforcing wider use of masks and more working from home. Under the new rules, Christmas markets, cultural sites, bars and restaurants will have to close at 11pm, with a maximum of six people per table. Private parties and gatherings are also banned, unless they are for weddings or funerals.
  

That’s all from me for today. Thank you all so much for reading along – I’ll now be handing over to my colleague Harry Taylor, who will continue to update you on global coroanvirus developments. Have a nice weekend and keep safe x

The World Health Organization has named the B.1.1.529 Covid variant Omicron and says an advisory group has recommended that it should be designated as “of concern”

In a statement, WHO said preliminary evidence suggests the latest variant carries a “higher risk of re-infection than other variants of concern”.

The WHO added:

The first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on 9 November 2021. This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning.

Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other VOCs [variants of concern].

The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa.

This is from Eric Mamer, the European Commission spokesperson

Earlier, we reported that health officials from the EU 27 met and agreed “on the need to activate” an emergency break on travel from southern Africa.

Mamer has now confirmed this will apply to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The Swiss government has banned direct flights from South Africa and the surrounding region due to the detection of the new B.1.1.529 variant, while also imposing restrictions on travel from other countries that have recorded cases including Hong Kong, Israel and Belgium.

All flights from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa were banned for an indefinite period.

“In addition, when entering the country from the region of southern Africa, Hong Kong, Israel and Belgium, all persons will have to present a negative Covid-19 test and be quarantined for 10 days starting at 8pm on 26 November 2021,” the country’s health authority said in a statement.

“Entry from these countries will no longer be possible for persons who are not Swiss citizens or do not have a residence permit in Switzerland or the Schengen area.”

Guatemala will impose restrictions on visitors from some southern African nations, the president Alejandro Giammattei said.

Guatemala would limit entry to travelers from Lesotho, Mozambique and South Africa, the president said, although the Guatemalan Immigration Institute said it is still waiting to receive the presidential order.

Cyprus also said it was banning arrivals travelling from, or through, South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and Botswana over the past 14 days.

The ban does not apply to Cypriot, EU nationals, nationals of the European Economic Area, Switzerland, or permanent Cyprus residents provided they carry a negative 72 hour PCR test and are tested again upon arrival. They will also have to quarantine in specially-designated hotels for a 10-day period, the Health Ministry said.

No cases of the new variant have been detected on the island, it added.

Saudi Arabia has also suspended flights to and from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and Eswatini due to concerns related to the spread of Covid, the state news agency (SPA) reported on Friday.

The South African health minister Joe Phaahla has said preliminary studies suggest the new B.1.1.529 variant may be more transmissible, but the decision of other countries to impose travel restrictions is “unjustified”.

Scientists have so far only detected the B.1.1.529 variant in relatively small numbers, mainly in South Africa but also in Botswana, Hong Kong, Israel and Belgium, but they are concerned by its high number of mutations which could make it vaccine-resistant and more transmissible.

Phaahla told a media briefing that South Africa was acting with transparency, and that travel bans introduced by a number of countries against southern African nations are “completely against the norms and standards” of the World Health Organisation.

“We want to reassure South Africans that some of the reaction has been unjustified,” Phaahla says.

The foreign ministry said South Africa would speak to Britain to try to get it to reconsider its ban, and the president Cyril Ramaphosa will convene an advisory council on Sunday to consider evidence on the variant.

“Our immediate concern is the damage that this decision will cause to both the tourism industries and businesses of both countries,” Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said in a statement.

The rand currency slumped as much as 2% against the dollar and South African hospitality stocks plummeted, as investors were unnerved.

Phaahla added that foreign scientists have not presented any evidence that the new variant has the capacity to evade protection offered by vaccines, though he accepts that early signs suggest it is more transmissible.

He said the UK had imposed travel restrictions on his country without prior discussion. Britain banned flights from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Namibia after the detection of the new variant in South Africa.

European Union states have also agreed to suspend travel to southern Africa after the detection of the variant, the presidency of the EU said on Friday.

However, Salim Abdool Karim, one of South Africa’s top epidemiologists, said of the new variant that it was “important to deal with it globally,” pointing out that the Delta variant had spread to 53 countries within three weeks of it being identified.

“So it doesn’t really help to close borders… We’ve got to find solutions to this variant together. And part of that is not to overreact,” he told Reuters, characterising the British travel ban as a “panic reaction” that was understandable.

The WHO was due to decide on Friday whether to designate the variant as being “of concern,” a label only given to four variants to date. But it could take weeks for scientists to fully understand the impact of the variant’s mutations.

Phaahla called on South Africans to come forward and receive the vaccine, which he said remained a “major bulwark” against infection and severe illness.

Related: Get vaccinated now, South Africans told amid new variant fears

European stocks plummeted amid widespread selling on Friday, as reports of the new B.1.1.529 variant stoked fears of a fresh hit to the global economy and drove investors out of riskier assets.

The benchmark STOXX 600 index ended 3.7% down in its worst session since June 2020, while the volatility gauge for the main stock market hit a near 10-month high. The day’s losses saw the STOXX 600 lose 4.5% this week.

Little is known of the variant, but scientists said it has an unusual combination of mutations and may be able to evade immune responses or make it more transmissible.

France’s CAC 40 shed 4.8%. UK’s FTSE 100 dropped 3.6%, while Germany’s DAX fell 4.2% and Spain’s IBEX lost 5.0%.

For the UK, it was the biggest one-day fall since June 2020, wiping £72bn off the value of the blue-chip index, taking it to its lowest level in seven weeks.

“With Europe and some northern parts of the US in a stretched situation due to an already high number of new cases and hospitalisations, this new virus strain comes at the worst possible time,” said Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank.

“Equities are reacting negatively because it is unknown at this point to what degree the vaccines will be effective against the new strain, and thus it increases risk of new lockdowns.”

Among the European stock sectors, travel and leisure plummeted 8.8% in its worst day since the Covid shock sell-off in March 2020.

Britain announced a temporary ban on flights from South Africa and several neighbouring countries from noon on Friday. The European Union has also agreed similar moves.

Travel stocks were the worst performers this week, down 13.6%. Concerns over rising Covid cases had pulled European stock markets from record highs last week amid fears of more restrictions.

The virus scare prompted euro zone money markets to scale back bets of a rate hike from the European Central Bank next year. Odds of a 10 basis point rate hike in December 2022 almost halved from 100% earlier this week.

Euro zone government bond yields dropped, pressuring European bank stocks, which lost 6.9%.

Oil & gas producers slumped 5.8%, while miners tumbled 5.0% as oil and metal prices lost ground as reports of the new virus variant fuelled economic slowdown worries.

The technology sector had relatively smaller losses, thanks to gains in stay-at-home stocks. Defensives such as healthcare and utilities fell the least.

For all the latest business updates, my colleague Graeme Wearden over on the Business live blog has you covered:

South Africa has urged all citizens to vaccinate themselves against Covid-19 as the country scrambles to assess the potential for the B.1.1.529 variant to unleash a deadly fourth wave.

As the president Cyril Ramaphosa prepares to discuss reimposing lockdown restrictions at a meeting on Sunday, the government appealed to all South Africans aged 12 and over to get jabbed as soon as possible.

The country’s top scientists were “in intensive engagement with all established surveillance systems to understand the new variant and what the potential implications could be,” a statement on Friday said.

“While this work continues, South Africans must take all measures to protect themselves against coronavirus infection, beginning with vaccination against Covid-19,” it added. Only about 35% of adults in the country are fully vaccinated.

The full story from Nick Dall and Lizzy Davies is here: