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The British Minister of Health confirmed on Saturday that they had discovered two cases of infection the new omikron variant.
Tonight, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that there will be new austerity measures.
– We must have targeted measures to inhibit the infection with this variant and buy time for the researchers so that we know what we are dealing with. And not least, we need to vaccinate more and get more refresher doses administered, says Johnson.
All must be tested and quarantined
In addition to denying entry to travelers from a number of South African countries, changes are also made on arrival in the UK.
– We are now introducing a new test regime. We will not prevent people from traveling, but everyone who arrives in the UK must take a test within the second day after arrival and isolate themselves until they have received a negative answer, Johnson says.
In addition, the government has implemented several other measures.
- Infected and close contacts to people who test positive for the omicron variant must be quarantined for 10 days – regardless of vaccine status.
- The muzzle rules in shops and public transport are being tightened
The new measures will last for three weeks in the first instance.
The health authorities will also consider whether more groups should be offered refreshment doses, and whether the interval between doses two and three should be shortened.
Thanks to South Africa
– As always with new varieties, there is a lot we can not know so early, but our researchers learn more from hour to hour, Johnson says.
He says that the UK has had a positive development with a decrease in hospital admissions and deaths and increasing support for vaccinations and refresher doses.
– But it seems that omicron spreads very quickly, and that it can spread between people who have been double-vaccinated, says Johnson, who thanks those who discovered the new variant.
“I would like to thank the researchers in South Africa who discovered it and spread the information to the rest of the world,” says Johnson.
At the same time, the South African authorities feel that they are being punished with entry restrictions as a result of the discovery.
“Excellent scientific work should be applauded, not punished,” South Africa’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
From today, Norway has introduced quarantine requirements for travelers from eight South African countries.
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