Which means persevering with to push for greater vaccination charges, abiding by social-distancing pointers, and sporting masks, amongst different measures, stated WHO Regional Emergency Director Dr. Babatunde Olowokure.
He added that well being programs should “guarantee we’re treating the precise sufferers in the precise place on the proper time, and so subsequently guaranteeing that ICU beds can be found, notably for many who want them.”
Kasai warned: “We can’t be complacent.”
WHO has beforehand urged in opposition to border closures, noting they usually have restricted impact and may trigger main disruptions. Officers 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 could be extra transmissible than different variants, Kasai stated.
A couple of international locations 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 stated. However that would change.
Among the many 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 specific concern for organizers of the Beijing Winter Olympic Video games, now about two months away.
Beijing is adopting a collection of measures to scale back the chance the virus will unfold in the course of the Video games, Zhao Weidong, spokesperson for the organizing committee, advised reporters at a briefing on Friday.
China has adopted a zero-tolerance coverage towards Covid-19 transmission and has a number of the world’s strictest border controls. Video games contributors must dwell and compete inside a bubble, and solely spectators who’re residents of China and have been vaccinated and examined can 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 stated.
“We shouldn’t be stunned to see extra surges sooner or later. So long as transmission continues, the virus can proceed to mutate, because the emergence of Omicron demonstrates, reminding us of the necessity to keep vigilant,” Kasai stated.
He warned particularly in regards to the probability of surges resulting from extra gatherings and motion of individuals in the course of the vacation season. The northern winter season may even possible convey different infectious respiratory illnesses, such because the flu, alongside Covid-19.
“It’s clear that this pandemic is way from over and I do know that individuals are nervous about Omicron,” Kasai stated. “However my message in the present day is that we are able to adapt the way in which we handle this virus to raised deal with the longer term surges and cut back their well being, social and financial impacts.”