Japan has confirmed the first infection from the new Omicron coronavirus variant. A source from the government confirmed it on Tuesday in less than a week since the identification in South Africa.
According to the governmental source, a man in his 30s was found to have the highly mutated strain following his arrival via Namibia in the Narita airport close to Tokyo on Sunday.
From South Africa, the new Omicron Variant has already reached Europe, Canada, Australia, and many other nations. WHO has disclosed that this variant could be immune to previous vaccines and has a faster transmission rate.
Many countries have tightened their travel restrictions following the sudden outburst in the cases of the Omicron variant. Japan, which had recently begun loosening up to travelers, now again faces the challenge of accepting foreigners and has decided to close the borders today (Tuesday). Japanese residents returning home will also have to be in quarantine for a minimum of 10 days in government-recognized facilities.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed to take every step to “avoid the worst-case scenario” when he announced the measures that come three weeks following Japan’s relaxed entry requirements for foreign students, business professionals, and those participating in the Technical Internship Program.
Samples from the infected man arriving from Namibia were tested at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases to determine if it really was the Omicron Variant.
Source: JapanToday
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