Japan to ban travellers from entering to prevent spread of Omicron variant

WHO dubbed the new South African COVID strain “Omicron”, and identified it as a variant of concern, saying that a high number of mutations (32) could make the virus more transmissible and dangerous.

The new coronavirus strain has been spreading over the past few days, with France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Denmark, and a number of other countries reporting their first cases. Many nations have since restricted entry from countries in southern Africa, prompting a strong reaction from South Africa, which said that it’s being punished for “excellent science”.