Roundup: WHO slams ‘ineffective’ bans; Europe mulls more measures
Madrid Desk, Nov 30 (EFE).- The World Health Organisation on Tuesday condemned countries for closing their borders to travelers from southern Africa since the detection of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, saying the measures are “not evidence-based or effective on their own” and would “only worsen inequalities.”
“We continue to call on all Member States to optimize public health and social measures and ensure that high-risk and vulnerable individuals in all countries are fully vaccinated immediately,” said secretary-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“The global response must be calm, coordinated and coherent,” he added.
THE NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and the Environment found the Omicron variant was present in the country a week before 14 cases were detected among passengers arriving from South Africa.
“On November 29, it turned out that the two samples were indeed the Omicron variant,” the authority said in a Tuesday statement.
“It is still not clear if the affected people had also been in southern Africa,” it added.
On November 26, 624 passengers flying on two flights from South Africa were tested for coronavirus at the Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. Of those, 61 passengers tested positive, and 14 cases of the Omicron variant were detected.
GERMANY
Bayern Munich and much of the Bundesliga are preparing to return to matches without supporters due to restrictions related to the latest wave of Covid-19 infections.
