Omicron strain reaches North America — Analysis

“Today, the province of Ontario has confirmed two cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Ottawa, both of which were reported in individuals with recent travel from Nigeria,”On Sunday, the Ontario government issued a statement.

Canada has already closed its borders and banned foreign travel to seven Southern African countries. However, Christine Elliott and KieranMoore from the Ontario Health Department called for more aggressive measures to stop the spread of the disease.

“We continue to urge the federal government to take the necessary steps to mandate point-of-arrival testing for all travelers irrespective of where they’re coming,”They said.

Omicron infection cases in Ontario are first-ever reported Omicron case in North America. Dr. Anthony Fauci (White House coronavirus adviser) said they were. “would not be surprised”If it is available in the United States,

While the US didn’t ban African flights, they did prohibit foreigners entering the United States if they were there in less than 14 days. Fauci was present at President Biden’s meeting on Sunday, where he provided an update to his administration on the anti-pandemic responses. It is likely that this will be published on Monday.

Fauci stated repeatedly in interviews that despite concerns that this new variant might be resistant to other jabs and that he believes that vaccinations and boosters are the best defense.

Mexican officials called for travel restrictions and closures of the border in the interim “not very useful measures,”Saying that these measures are necessary “affect the economy and well-being of people”They do more than help stop the spread of the disease. Also, the World Health Organization advised countries to avoid closing their borders. “unnecessarily invasive or intrusive”Restrictions to stop a “heavy burden on lives and livelihoods.”