Two cases of Omicron coronavirus variant detected in UK
Two cases of the Omicron variant feared to have higher re-infection rates have been detected in the UK, as the Government added four extra African nations to the travel red list.
The individuals and all members of their households were told to enter self-isolation after one case was detected in Chelmsford, Essex, and another in Nottingham.
The UK Health Security Agency confirmed the cases, which are both believed to be connected and linked to travel to southern Africa, after genomic sequencing overnight.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid ordered targeted testing in the affected areas and said Prime Minister Boris Johnson will “set out further measures” during a Downing Street press conference later on Saturday.
“We were concerned from the moment we first identified this new variant,” Mr Javid told reporters.
“It’s a deeply concerning new variant and we do need to learn more about it but the fact that we now have these two cases in the United Kingdom does mean we need to take further measures and that’s why I’ve set this out today.”
We have been made aware by @UKHSA of two UK cases of the Omicron variant. The two cases are linked and there is a connection with travel to southern Africa.
These individuals are self-isolating with their households while further testing and contact tracing is underway.
— Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) November 27, 2021
Mr Javid did not say whether further restrictions could be added ahead of Christmas in light of the new strain, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated a “variant of concern”.
Instead, he said: “We’ve made a lot of progress, we all want to see that protected and if anyone’s sitting at home thinking what can I do? Get vaccinated.”
Mr Javid said anyone who has travelled in the last 10 days to the 10 countries now on the red list, with Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola being added to South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Namibia, they must self-isolate and take PCR tests.
England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said: “We will continue to work closely with the international community to quickly gather and analyse information on this variant to understand any possible increase in transmissibility or resistance to vaccines.”
