That means persevering with to push for larger vaccination charges, abiding by social-distancing tips, and carrying masks, amongst different measures, mentioned WHO Regional Emergency Director Dr. Babatunde Olowokure.
He added that well being techniques should “ensure we are treating the right patients in the right place at the right time, and so therefore ensuring that ICU beds are available, particularly for those who need them.”
Kasai warned: “We cannot be complacent.”
WHO has beforehand urged against border closures, noting they typically have restricted impact and may trigger main disruptions. Officials in southern Africa, the place the Omicron variant was first recognized, have decried restrictions on vacationers from the area, saying they’re being punished for alerting the world to the mutant pressure.
Scientists are working furiously to study extra about Omicron, which has been designated a variant of concern due to the variety of mutations and since early info suggests it might be extra transmissible than different variants, Kasai mentioned.
A number of nations in Western Pacific area are going through surges that started earlier than Omicron was recognized, although Covid-19 circumstances and deaths in lots of others have decreased or plateaued, Kasai mentioned. But that would change.
Among the locations which have discovered the variant within the area are Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia — and it’s prone to crop up in additional locations.
The emergence of Omicron is of explicit concern for organizers of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, now about two months away.
Beijing is adopting a sequence of measures to scale back the danger the virus will unfold in the course of the Games, Zhao Weidong, spokesperson for the organizing committee, advised reporters at a briefing on Friday.
China has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward Covid-19 transmission and has a number of the world’s strictest border controls. Games members should dwell and compete inside a bubble, and solely spectators who’re residents of China and have been vaccinated and examined will likely be permitted at venues.
Globally, circumstances have been growing for seven consecutive weeks and the variety of deaths has began to rise once more, too, pushed largely by the Delta variant and decreased use of protecting measures in different elements of the world, Kasai mentioned.
“We should not be surprised to see more surges in the future. As long as transmission continues, the virus can continue to mutate, as the emergence of Omicron demonstrates, reminding us of the need to stay vigilant,” Kasai mentioned.
He warned particularly concerning the chance of surges as a consequence of extra gatherings and motion of individuals in the course of the vacation season. The northern winter season may even seemingly deliver different infectious respiratory ailments, such because the flu, alongside Covid-19.
“It is clear that this pandemic is far from over and I know that people are worried about Omicron,” Kasai mentioned. “But my message today is that we can adapt the way we manage this virus to better cope with the future surges and reduce their health, social and economic impacts.”
